Thibaut Courtois has fired shots at La Liga’s controversial plan to take Barcelona’s December clash with Villarreal to Miami — branding it “totally adulterating the competition.”
The move will make history as the first-ever European league match played abroad, but not everyone is celebrating. Courtois says the decision breaks the league’s competitive balance.
“It’s easy to talk about the NFL or NBA,” the Real Madrid goalkeeper told reporters. “They have 82 games; it doesn’t change anything for them. Here it’s completely different — you can’t just decide this. It changes the competition.”
“Villarreal Away Is a Tough Game”
Courtois believes Barcelona gain an unfair edge by facing Villarreal on neutral ground rather than enduring a proper away fixture.
“Villarreal away is a difficult game,” he said. “Everyone should play home and away — unless there’s a real force majeure.”
His frustration reflects wider unrest in Spanish football. Players across La Liga staged brief 15-second protests at kickoff last weekend to oppose the Miami switch — though many of those moments never made it to live broadcasts.
“Hiding it is censorship and manipulation,” Courtois snapped. “That’s not good at all.”
Madrid, Alonso Join the Backlash
Real Madrid have already expressed their opposition, with Spanish media reporting that the club has filed a complaint to the government. Head coach Xabi Alonso backed his goalkeeper’s stance:
“My opinion is clear. The club is defending its interests, and we’ll see what happens,” Alonso said.
Milestone Amid the Mayhem
Controversy aside, Courtois will mark a personal high this week — his 300th appearance for Real Madrid when they face Juventus in the Champions League.
“I’m very proud,” said the Belgian. “When you’re a kid, you dream of playing one game for Real Madrid — tomorrow it’ll be 300. That’s special.”
(with AFP inputs)
