LaLiga’s US league fixture proposal under threat as players’ union threatens strike

By Andrew Warshaw

August 23 – Plans to stage a landmark top-flight La Liga fixture in the United States have prompted fierce opposition by Spain’s footballers union which has not ruled out going on strike, blasting the idea as based only on “money and business”.

The regular season game, to be arranged in conjunction with Relevent, the sports and entertainment group that runs the International Champions Cup pre-season tournament, would be the first to be played outside Europe and would come under the organisation of LaLiga North America, a new 15-year joint venture 50/50 owned by LaLiga and Relevent.

LaLiga as yet has not confirmed the date, teams or location but the venture – likely to start next season and probably include at least one of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla or Valencia — has caused an inevitable backlash amongst elite players.

“We are tired of these unilateral decisions that directly affect the players like this plan of playing outside Spain,” said David Aganzo, president of the players union (AFE) following a meeting attended by club captains and vice-captains of 20 clubs including Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets. “Things need to be done in a much more coherent way.”

Aganzo said AFE planned to meet La Liga chiefs in September to try and convince officials to give up on the plan.

If not, at the “end of September or the beginning of October we will have to start acting,” said Aganzo adding the union was “prepared to go to the end”, evoking the possibility of a “strike”.

“We will try not to reach that extreme but we are willing to go to the end if necessary,” said Aganzo, who became head of the union this year when Luis Rubiales left to take over as president of the Spanish Football Federation. “I will state very clearly that we will do everything possible to avoid this.”

“We are used to seeing football played only for money and business,” added Aganzo who said Liga officials no longer take into account “the health and risk for the players”.

“The captains are surprised and angry that such an important decision was taken without being consulted. The players are unanimously against this, no-one is in favour of it,” he told a news conference. “There are some clubs that are in favour and others that are against it, but I’m speaking on behalf of the footballers.”

“The problem is the lack of common sense, a schedule where only the export of soccer benefits – nobody counts on the fans. We need to fix it with the bosses. It does not make sense. We are talking about an agreement that has a validity of 15 years without consulting the players.”

La Liga has not yet given details over how it would compensate the loss of home advantage for teams involved and fans have also jumped on board, with the national supporters federation (FASFE) describing the proposal as an “aberration”.

It also has to get agreement from governing bodies, including the US Soccer Federation, that it can play a regular season league fixture in the US. The fixture will come under more stringent sanctioning scrutiny than the current pre-season friendly tournament that Relevent organises for Europe’s clubs.

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1711659284labto1711659284ofdlr1711659284owedi1711659284sni@w1711659284ahsra1711659284w.wer1711659284dna1711659284