Barcelona stand to lose out financially after the decision was made to cancel La Liga’s first ever official match overseas, scheduled for Miami in December.
UEFA reluctantly approved the change of continent, simultaneously relaying absolute disdain for a domestic fixture being played in another country.
But protests from players across La Liga fixtures this past weekend—refusing to play for the first 15 seconds of matches—and other backlash put a sour taste in the mouth. And while the official line is that it was too much of a logistical challenge at relatively short notice, there is a feeling that the widespread opposition and uproar has also played a significant part in the event not happening.
Barcelona were not giving up a home game to stage the match at the Hard Rock Stadium, as it is Villarreal’s home fixture. But the Catalans, still not out of the woods financially after a tremendously challenging few years, were expecting to substantially gain from it.
Its very purpose was as a marketing and commercial play, intended to further the international appeal of La Liga into the huge North American market dominated by England’s Premier League.
A sellout was expected in Miami after an estimated 70,000 tickets had already been reserved, with additional opportunities for revenue through sponsorship as well. All told, has reported that the value of this one game to Barcelona was expected to be around $5–6 million.
