Real Madrid defender slams La Liga’s plan to hold Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami – ‘It’s not fair’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal has openly criticised La Liga’s decision to stage the upcoming Villarreal vs Barcelona fixture in Miami, United States.

The Spanish international believes that such a move would unfairly alter the competition’s integrity, labelling it as “a clear adulteration of the competition.”

Speaking to Teledeporte (h/t SPORT), Carvajal expressed strong disapproval over the idea of one league match being played abroad while others remain in Spain.

The veteran defender believes that fairness must be the foundation of any competition.

“I think it’s a clear adulteration of the competition, which means that not all La Liga teams are competing under the same conditions.

“I believe it’s essential that we players, the clubs, and the league itself are fair. We have to advocate for fairness, and I don’t think this is fair,” he said.

Carvajal has spoken against the match. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

It must be noted that while the La Liga management sees the Miami game as a commercial opportunity to expand its international reach, many within Spanish football view it as a step too far.

Players unite in protest against La Liga

The controversy surrounding the Miami match has already sparked a united response from players.

During the recent La Liga fixtures, including Saturday’s game between Barcelona and Girona, players from both sides deliberately paused for the opening 10 to 15 seconds as a form of protest.

This gesture was organised by the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE), which accused La Liga of showing “a lack of transparency, dialogue, and consistency” in its handling of the proposed match.

The AFE has formally requested that the Joint Committee on the Collective Agreement, initially set for Friday 24, be moved forward to Wednesday 22 to urgently discuss the issue.

As of now, the debate continues, with players standing firm in their demand for equal conditions across the competition – a stance led vocally by Carvajal, who insists fairness must come before profit.