The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) confirmed 18 of the 20 La Liga clubs will stage a protest throughout Gameweek 9 in opposition to Barcelona and Villarreal’s December fixture, set to unfold on U.S. soil.
After the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and UEFA approved the plans for the La Liga clash between Barcelona and Villarreal to take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, there have been rumblings of a potential stance taken by the players’ union to outwardly oppose the decision.
Now, the talks have become a reality. The AFE released a statement on Friday afternoon announcing that at the start of each match this weekend, footballers across the league will not play the first 15 seconds.
The stoppage is to “to protest symbolically as a demand for the lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence of LALIGA, regarding the possibility of playing a competition match in the United States.”
The AFE confirmed players from Barcelona and Villarreal have been kept out of the plans to “avoid the protest action being interpreted as a possible measure against any club.”
Instead, the protest is geared toward La Liga and the RFEF, who agreed to moving a domestic fixture to a neutral site without the “approval of the main players” in the league.
The statement continues, “[The AFE] demands that the employers’ association create a negotiating table in which all information is shared and the exceptional characteristics of the project are analyzed, the needs and concerns of the footballers are addressed, and the protection of their labor rights and compliance with current regulations are guaranteed.”
AFE President Condemns Barcelona, Villarreal Fixture
AFE president David Aganzo previously spoke out against the approval of bringing a top-flight Spanish clash to an overseas venue. Aganzo echoed many of Real Madrid’s initial concerns over the match, including the unfair advantage Barcelona would gain from getting to play an away match in Miami.
“Villarreal have a better chance at home. Outside Spain, the top clubs have much more fans. It will be as if Barça are at home,” he said.
The 44-year-old also demanded full transparency from La Liga and the RFEF, calling into question “if the collective bargaining agreement was being fulfilled, the details surrounding the journey [and] the working conditions.”
Even Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong vocally opposed UEFA’s reluctant approval of the clash: “I don’t like the fact that we’re going to play there and I don’t agree with this. It’s not fair for the competition. Now we’re playing an away game on neutral ground. I don’t like it and I don’t think it’s right for the players.”
The RFEF have yet to address the backlash, as well as this weekend’s protest.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as La Liga Players Rally for Unprecedented Protest Over Barcelona, Villarreal Clash.