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New Delhi: La Liga announced on Tuesday the cancellation of the Barcelona vs Villarreal match in Miami due to "uncertainty" about the game in Spain. Defending champions Barcelona were scheduled to take on Villarreal in the United States on December 20 in the first European league fixture played abroad.
La Liga, in a released statement, said that their promoter for the game has decided to cancel the event’s organisation due to the "uncertainty generated in Spain in recent weeks,".
The Spanish league further added that they "deeply regret" such an outcome, and holding the game outside of Spain would have been a massive step in the international and global growth of the competition.
The statement also suggested that the league needed different ways to generate money because of the continued dominance of the Premier League.
"In an increasingly competitive global landscape, where leagues such as the Premier League or competitions like the UEFA Champions League continue to expand their reach and ability to generate revenue, initiatives like this are essential to ensure the sustainability and growth of Spanish soccer," the statement added..
Tickets for the game at the Hard Rock Stadium were supposed to go on sale on Tuesday, but organisers announced that the presale was "delayed" before the match was cancelled. The game is now scheduled to be held at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica home as usual.
La Liga champions Barcelona released a statement after the announcement and stated that the club respects and accepts the decision to cancel the match in Miami, just as they respected and accepted the decision when it was made at the time.
"FC Barcelona regret the missed opportunity to expand the competition's image in a strategic market with a great capacity for growth and generation of resources for everyone. The Club is grateful for the unconditional support and affection of our fans in the USA and regrets deeply that they are denied the opportunity to see an official game in their country," the statement added.
La Liga announced the cancellation during Villarreal’s 2-0 Champions League defeat against Manchester City. After the game, coach Marcelino Garcia Toral said that it seems to him an absolute lack of respect to put out a statement at half-time of a game about something that was planned but will not happen.
Barcelona will next take on Real Madrid in their next La Liga clash on Sunday, October 26, while Villarreal will face Valencia next.
