Spanish football officials have announced a regular season match between Villarreal and FC Barcelona scheduled to take place in Miami in December, igniting protests from the continent’s leading supporter advocacy group.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has filed a complaint with the European Commission, criticizing “ongoing attempts to deterritorialise European football,” as per a letter acquired by POLITICO.
Critics of the plan argue it compromises competitive integrity, with some teams missing essential home matches due to international relocations, and gradually weakens the ties between clubs and their steadfast local supporters.
EU Sport Commissioner Glenn Micallef, who had previously expressed his “emotional” opposition to European matches occurring outside Europe during a POLITICO interview in May, met with FSE leader Ronan Evain on Wednesday and condemned the plans put forth by Spanish and Italian leagues.
“I’m deeply disappointed by proposals to stage domestic league matches outside Europe,” Micallef stated on social media Wednesday.
“This is the first major test for governance since the Super League. Strong, community-focused clubs are the foundation of the European Sport Model. Shifting competitions overseas isn’t innovation; it’s betrayal,” he further remarked.
His comments provoked an angry reaction from the Italian league, which stated it was “astonished” by Micallef’s “excessive position,” and Spain’s assertive league chief Javier Tebas, who retorted, “I understand the concern, but let’s put things in perspective: we are talking about 1 match out of 380.”
Tebas added: “There are thousands of fans around the world — including Europeans — who deserve the opportunity to see their teams play live at least once.”
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