September 18 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has stepped into the row over LaLiga’s plans to schedule a top-flight match in the United States by saying home games should “not be played in a foreign country.”
La Liga has officially requested the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to allow them to relocate Girona’s game against Barcelona to the US in a landmark ruling that could have a widespread knock-on effect throughout Europe.
The game would be played at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on January 26.
“I think I would prefer to see a great MLS game in the US rather than LaLiga being in the US,” said Infantino in a statement. “In football, the general principle is that you play a ‘home’ match at ‘home’, and not in a foreign country.”
Responding on Twitter, La Liga’s outspoken chief Javier Tebas snapped back: “I will remind the president of FIFA that in the MLS, three teams of Canada participate, and Toronto is the current champion, and also in Canada there is another professional league.”
RFEF, the US Soccer Federation, European governing body UEFA and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) all need to give permission for the game to go ahead.
Infantino added: “There are rules, regulations, that everyone complies with. Such a proposal has to be approved by the respective associations, by the respective confederations and FIFA should also express a view on the matter, not least since it would have implications for football at global level as well.”
Spain’s top flight, has agreed to play one game a season in the US as part of a 15-year deal with media company Relevent. Last week the Spanish players’ union (AFE) insisted the players would have the final say, but ultimately their view is unlikely to hold much sway unless the match is approved and they then carry out their threat of strike action – which would be very unlikely as they are all under well-paid and regularly paid contract.
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