'He made it very clear that a court will decide' - La Liga to begin legal battle with players' union over 'illegal' protests against cancelled Miami match

La Liga is set to launch a formal legal complaint against the AFE after a tense meeting between the two bodies, according to a report from Mundo Deportivo. The dispute centres on the coordinated player protests that preceded the eventual cancellation of the controversial league match between Villarreal and Barcelona, which was scheduled to be played in Miami.

La Liga president Javier Tebas, who did not speak to the media, reportedly informed Aganzo that the league considers the players' on-pitch protests to be an illegal strike. The protests saw players in every top-flight match last weekend stand still for the first 15 seconds of play. Aganzo, however, has firmly rejected this classification, insisting the action was a "gesture" to highlight a "lack of transparency" from the league.

Speaking after the meeting, Aganzo confirmed the league's hard line stance and its intention to escalate the matter through the courts, despite the Miami match now being officially cancelled.

"We also discussed how he said we were on strike, and we simply made a gesture that had nothing to do with the strike," Aganzo explained. "According to him, it will be resolved in court. He made it very clear that a court will decide.”

The AFE president stressed that the union's primary issue was the league's failure to consult the players before finalising such a significant project, which would have been the first-ever La Liga match played overseas.

"This meeting should have been held much earlier and not when it was cancelled," Aganzo stated. "We pointed out the lack of transparency... I insist that these projects require conversation with everyone, with maximum transparency and information to make a significant project happen."

Aganzo defended his members, stating "common sense prevailed" and that the union's role was to protect players' rights. "I'm looking out for the players, for their labour rights... We've come to defend our rights."

The fallout from the cancelled fixture has also created a significant rift between clubs, with Villarreal CEO Fernando Roig Negueroles launching a stinging attack on Real Madrid, blaming them for the project's collapse. Villarreal, who were the designated home team for the Miami fixture and had supported the initiative, are furious at the outcome.

Speaking to Radio Marca, Roig Negueroles did not mince his words, pointing directly at the capital club as the main culprit behind the protests and eventual cancellation.

"LaLiga can make mistakes, but Real Madrid seems to be going against everyone," he said. "The other day I was in Rome at the ECA, and at the European level it's losing more and more influence because no one believes the rhetoric anymore, but at the Spanish level, especially the press, you pay a lot of attention to what Real Madrid says. And they're against everything."

Real Madrid had been vocal in their opposition from the start, filing formal complaints and arguing that playing a league match abroad would "distort the competition". Roig Negueroles expressed incredulity at their position, suggesting they protest indiscriminately.

"I agree with them on many of the things they protest about, but they lose legitimacy because they also protest absolutely everything that's proposed," he insisted. "Even the things that are good, like how they approved this very match four years ago in a delegated committee. Now they've changed their minds... If something was good for Real Madrid, they would also protest."

Villarreal's anger was compounded by the timing of La Liga's official cancellation announcement, which was released during the half-time break of their Champions League match against Manchester City. The club's manager, Marcelino Garcia Toral, openly expressed his disgust in his post-match press conference.

The club, which had invested in the project and was planning compensation packages for its season-ticket holders, released its own harsh statement condemning the league's management of the situation. Roig Negueroles was seen in the stands of La Ceramica on his phone at the moment the news broke, a moment described by Mundo Deportivo as one "they will not soon forget at Villarreal."

The immediate future for the fixture is simple: it will now be played at Villarreal's Estadio de la Ceramica as originally scheduled. However, the consequences of the dispute will be long-lasting.

La Liga is now preparing its legal case against the AFE, a move that will further strain the already-tense relationship between the league and its players. Aganzo acknowledged the divide but called for a functional path forward.

"They are the employers' association and we are the union. They have a line, I have mine. Together, we have to build a stronger football system to grow," he said.

For Tebas, the cancellation represents a major blow to his global expansion strategy for the La Liga brand. For the AFE, it is a significant victory in forcing the players' voices to be heard, though one that will now be defended in court.