A “symbolic protest” — not competing for the ball in the first 15 seconds of each match in the ninth round — against the transfer of the game between Villarreal and Barcelona to Miami generated a war this weekend between Spanish league players and the organization, which is not broadcasting images of the gesture on television.
On Friday (17), AFE (the Spanish Football Players Association) announced that players would protest “symbolically against LaLiga’s lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence [responsável pela organização do Campeonato Espanhol] regarding the possibility of playing a match in the competition in the United States”, on December 20.
In the matches played on Friday and Saturday (18), the players remained motionless for the first 15 seconds, while the television showed a fixed shot from outside the stadium or an aerial view and the message “Commitment for Peace”, without giving further details, censoring the protest that the players were trying to convey.
Birds on the roof
Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, had confirmed on October 8 that the game between Villarreal and Barcelona, corresponding to the 17th round, would be the first match in the competition to be played outside the national territory, which triggered criticism for going against the principle of equal conditions between participants.
Argentine Leandro Cabrera, one of Espanyol’s captains, spoke clearly after his team’s 2-0 victory over Oviedo on Friday, the first in which the protest and television censorship occurred.
“All we wanted to show was a break and that we disagreed. They must have filmed some birds on the roof. I don’t know what they did, but I honestly don’t understand,” he said in the mixed zone.
“Firstly, this doesn’t make sense, and secondly, if everything is so transparent and honest, why don’t you get together and talk? Respect and transparency is what will be asked for throughout the weekend in this round,” he added.
Although the AFE announced on Friday that it would “keep Barcelona and Villarreal players out of the protest”, both teams took part in the protest in their matches this Saturday, against Girona and Betis respectively.
“Tampers with the competition”
Barcelona’s Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong addressed the issue a few days ago during his national team’s training.
“I don’t like us playing there and I don’t agree with it. It’s not fair to the competition. I don’t think it’s right for the players; we always complain about the game schedule and excessive travel,” De Jong said of a plane journey of more than 8,000 kilometers.
On the rival side, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso highlighted that Miami’s match “adulterates the competition”.
“There was no unanimity or consultation to play on a neutral field. The protests are positive, and this feeling is positive. We believe that this can happen, if there is unanimity, but that is not the case,” he added the day before playing against Getafe.
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) agreed to hold the match, and another from the Italian Championship at the beginning of February, in Australia, “reluctantly” and “exceptionally”, the entity said in a statement released on October 6.
Its president, Aleksander Ceferin, explained in an interview that he has little room for maneuver since FIFA (International Football Federation) revised its rules for matches abroad in May.
