Barcelona stand to lose out financially after the decision was made to cancel La Liga’s first ever official match overseas, scheduled for Miami in December.
UEFA reluctantly approved the change of continent, simultaneously relaying absolute disdain for a domestic fixture being played in another country.
But protests from players across La Liga fixtures this past weekend—refusing to play for the first 15 seconds of matches—and other backlash put a sour taste in the mouth. And while the official line is that it was too much of a logistical challenge at relatively short notice, there is a feeling that the widespread opposition and uproar has also played a significant part in the event not happening.
Barcelona were not giving up a home game to stage the match at the Hard Rock Stadium, as it is Villarreal’s home fixture. But the Catalans, still not out of the woods financially after a tremendously challenging few years, were expecting to substantially gain from it.
Its very purpose was as a marketing and commercial play, intended to further the international appeal of La Liga into the huge North American market dominated by England’s Premier League.
A sellout was expected in Miami after an estimated 70,000 tickets had already been reserved, with additional opportunities for revenue through sponsorship as well. All told, MARCA has reported that the value of this one game to Barcelona was expected to be around $5–6 million.
Barcelona, La Liga, Javier Tebas React
A Barcelona statement in response spoke of accepting the cancellation, but equally hinted at disappointment over losing out on an additional revenue stream.
Once the decision was made to revert the match to its original venue in Villarreal, La Liga issued a statement ruing the loss of a “historic and unparalleled opportunity,” refuting justified concerns about the impact on the competitive integrity of the league.
La Liga president Javier Tebas was furious, taking to social media for his own personal tirade.
“The defense of ‘tradition’ is invoked from a narrow and provincial perspective, while the true traditions of European football are threatened by decisions from the institutions that govern it, which year after year destroy national leagues, the true engine of the football industry in Europe, amid the naivety and passivity of European leaders who fail to distinguish the inconsequential from the essential,” he ranted on X.
“The ‘integrity of the competition’ is appealed to by those who have spent years questioning that very integrity, pressuring referees, leaders, constructing distorted narratives, or using political and media pressure as a sporting tool,” Tebas added, making a pointed dig at Real Madrid.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Much Revenue Barcelona Will Miss Out on After Miami Cancellation—Report.