The Spanish Footballers' Association, together with the captains of all 20 La Liga clubs, has issued a statement opposing the plan to stage the 17th round La Liga match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami, USA.
Full Statement
On the afternoon of this Thursday, the Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles (AFE, Spanish Footballers' Association) held a meeting with all La Liga captains to evaluate a proposal announced by the Royal Spanish Football
Federation on August 11th. This proposal plans to submit an application to UEFA and FIFA to stage a league match of the current season outside Spain.
Previously, the AFE had requested LaLiga (the Spanish Professional Football League) to provide a detailed explanation of the plan, in order to inform the players and solicit their opinions. However, LaLiga refused to disclose details of the plan in advance, shifted responsibility, and only promised to update on the progress of the relevant approval procedures.
We believe that, in a context of complete lack of dialogue and with players kept entirely in the dark, LaLiga has unilaterally pushed forward this project, with the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s Board of Directors approving the initiation of relevant procedures. This approach shows a great lack of respect for the players, as it not only involves changes to competition rules but also means that players, as employees, would need to travel overseas to compete within the framework of a domestic league.
“We are united in our stance; we demand respect and transparency.” Through this strong statement, the AFE requires all relevant Spanish institutions to provide full information on this project that could alter the league format. The AFE emphasizes that such plans must involve dialogue, negotiation, and prior agreement with all stakeholders in football, and in particular, must be consulted with “us, the protagonists on the pitch.”
