Real Madrid sends a letter to the CSD expressing its opposition to the league match in Miami between Barça and Villarreal.

Real Madrid 's opposition to the Villarreal-Barça La Liga match being played in Miami remains total, as the club has sent a second letter to the Higher Sports Council (CSD) to once again express its rejection of the transfer of the national competition, as it did last August after the RFEF approved the submission of the request to UEFA and FIFA.

Sources at the CSD confirmed receipt of the second letter from the Real Madrid club, which, upon learning of the Federation's green light for the idea, asked FIFA and UEFA not to authorize it, as guarantors of the rules of football and the integrity of the competitions, and asked the CSD not to grant the necessary administrative authorization without the unanimous consent of all clubs participating in the competition.

For Real Madrid, the initiative, promoted without prior information or consultation with the clubs participating in La Liga , violates the essential principle of territorial reciprocity that governs double-round competitions, alters the competitive balance, and grants an undue sporting advantage to the applicant clubs.

After receiving Real Madrid's initial letter, the Higher Sports Council requested "detailed information" from the RFEF in order to determine its legal basis, and although it has not yet received it , the CSD expressed its desire for "collaboration and to receive it soon." Meanwhile, for LaLiga, as its president, Javier Tebas, explained on the 13th, the CSD does not have the authority to stop the match in Miami.

The players' rejection

The Real Madrid club isn't the only one that has expressed its opposition to playing a league match in Miami. The Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) has also made its opposition clear, promoting a protest by the players , who staged a 15-second stoppage at the start of the match on the last league matchday. The union will also now resume contact with the players to define the next steps .

The players' protest, on the other hand, has led LaLiga to call a meeting of the Joint Committee of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for next Friday, the 24th, although the AFE has requested that it be brought forward to this Wednesday, as the employers' association questions the legality of the meeting, as it fails to meet requirements regarding notice, advance notice, and guarantees of the right to strike.

The AFE is demanding transparency and information about the match's relocation to Miami, which it believes violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement. LaLiga believes this is an attempt to block the move after an apparent written request for information.

The union also asked LaLiga to postpone the ticket sale date , to which the association responded that it is not its responsibility, but rather that of the match promoter, Relevent, with whom it signed an agreement for the development of Spanish football in the United States, which was approved in July 2018.

For its part, the Federation of Shareholders and Members of Spanish Football (FASFE), which called for protests on the final matchday of La Liga, maintains that it continues working "to prevent the relocation" of Spanish football and, together with the Football Supporters Europe and Independent Supporters Council of the United States, has asked CONCACAF to participate in the consultation process prior to its decision on whether or not to grant permission for the match.

"We also continue working at the national level to ensure that the CSD, under its jurisdiction, revokes the permit granted by the RFEF to relocate the Villarreal-Barcelona match," he added.

The controversy coincides with a recent European Parliament agreement , approved on the 7th, on the role of EU policies in shaping the European sports model. Specifically, point 44 of the text calls on sports governing bodies to prevent domestic competition matches from being played abroad.

While the debate continues in Spain, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami opens presale tickets this Tuesday and will open general sale to the public a day later. The venue bills the match as "more than just a game" and as "a unique moment" for American soccer fans to see the world's best players on their own turf in a league competition duel.