La Liga players speak out against 'disrespectful' plan to play Barcelona match against Villarreal in Miami after meeting between 20 captains

The AFE has formally announced its opposition to La Liga's proposal to stage Villarreal's match against Barcelona in Miami in December. The decision comes after the captains of all 20 top-flight clubs met on Thursday to unify their stance against the plan. In a statement, the AFE cited a "lack of dialogue and information" from La Liga as the primary reason for their rejection, branding the move "disrespectful".

The players' union is the latest major body to object to the long-standing proposal. Earlier this month, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) agreed to formally request authorisation from UEFA and FIFA for the match to be held at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, which was seen as a major breakthrough. However, the project also faces strong opposition from Real Madrid, creating a significant divide between the league's organisers and its key participants.

La Liga, in partnership with Relevant Sports, has been attempting to stage a competitive league fixture in the United States since 2018. A previous attempt to move a Girona vs Barcelona match to Miami was ultimately blocked after facing similar resistance.

"Backed by the captains of the La Liga clubs, AFE opposes playing a league game outside of Spain," a statement from the union read.

"The captains of every team met on Thursday to discuss the request, as announced by the RFEF earlier in August, for a game to be played outside of the country, which was submitted to UEFA and FIFA.

"AFE requested a detailed report from the league in order to inform the players of the situation and hear their opinions. In its response, the league only informed us of the progress of the authorisation process.

"In view of this situation, given the lack of dialogue and information provided, the initiation of a project promoted by La Liga and approved without any information by the RFEF is disrespectful to the players, as it involves changes at a sporting level in addition to travel outside the country as workers within the framework of a domestic league."

The statement continued: "We are united. We want respect and transparency. With this message, AFE demands that the Spanish institutions involved provide all the information on a project that would alter the competition.

"This is something that requires dialogue, negotiation and prior agreement with all stakeholders and, fundamentally, with the main players, which are us."

Despite the RFEF submitting the request, the proposal still requires official approval from UEFA, FIFA, US Soccer, and CONCACAF. However, the united opposition from the AFE, representing every player in the division, presents a formidable obstacle. The players' union is demanding "dialogue, negotiation and prior agreement," meaning La Liga cannot proceed without engaging its players, a process which could jeopardise the planned December fixture.