UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has admitted he does not like the idea of playing Barcelona’s La Liga match with Villarreal in Miami.
The fixture is scheduled for December and could be played in the United States, subject to approval from UEFA and FIFA.
Ceferin has been asked about the possibility of teams in Spain and Italy playing outside Europe and made it clear he is not a fan.
“We are not happy, but, no matter how much we have checked legally, we do not have much room for manoeuvre if the federation
agrees and both federations too.
“But I think that, going forward, we will have to discuss this very seriously, because football should be played in Europe, fans should watch it at home; they cannot travel to Australia or the United States to see their teams,” he told Politico.
“We will also open this conversation with FIFA and with all the federations, because I don’t think it is positive. If it is an exception, fine; if there is a reason, good; but, in principle, European teams should play in Europe because the fans who cheer them on live in Europe. It’s a great tradition.”
The controversial plan has already attracted plenty of criticism, but a final decision on where the game will be played is yet to be made.
