Getafe president criticises proposed Miami clash between Barcelona and Villarreal | OneFootball

The Barcelona and Villarreal game, which is scheduled later this season, has been making headlines in the news lately.

This is largely due to La Liga’s efforts to host the match at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, thus making it the first La Liga game to be held away from home.

It has been reported that both Barcelona and Villarreal are confident that the match will be hosted in Miami, which many believe will undermine the league’s status and prestige.

Getafe president lambasts the idea

Many personalities across Spanish football have already criticised the idea, with Getafe president Angel Torres recently joining the list.

In a recent interview, Torres has lambasted the idea of holding a La Liga match away from Miami, even claiming that such an event will never take place.

“A match in Miami? This is something different. I’m completely against that, and I don’t think it will happen. That manipulation is enough,” he said (h/t AS).

Joan Laporta will be keen on playing the Villarreal match in Miami (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

It is not too surprising to see the management of a deeply-rooted local club such as Getafe complain about La Liga matches being hosted elsewhere.

The club, after all, derive much of their support from local fans as opposed to clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid, which have traditionally had a bigger international following.

Hosting a match in Miami, to that end, represents an opportunity for both Villarreal and Barcelona to increase their fan following in the United States, which is always a lucrative market.

Getafe president Torres, though, is not having any of it, reiterating that clubs must stick to the traditional rule of playing two matches – one home and one away. “You must play a match at your home stadium and another at the opponent’s stadium. Thank you.”

Despite Torres’ tirade, though, there appears to be a very strong possibility of the match taking place in Miami, at least as a pilot project so that La Liga and RFEF can gauge future possibilities.