Real Madrid manager, Xabi Alonso, has publicly backed La Liga players who are protesting the league’s contentious plan to hold a match in Miami, USA.
La Liga recently announced that Barcelona’s away fixture against Villarreal, set for December 20, will be hosted in Miami. This marks an unprecedented move, as no European league has ever staged a competitive game outside Europe before.
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In reaction to this decision, the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) declared a “symbolic protest” to take place before every La Liga game throughout the upcoming week.
On Friday, players from Oviedo and Espanyol expressed their opposition by remaining motionless for the first 15 seconds of their match, a protest that unfortunately was not broadcast live.
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Speaking at a press briefing before his team’s next game, Alonso stated, “We oppose this fixture because it undermines the fairness of the competition.”
He added, “The decision was taken without proper dialogue or agreement with the clubs and players involved. The protests are a justified and constructive response to this unilateral action.”
Alonso further emphasized that while hosting matches abroad might be considered in the future, such initiatives must only move forward with unanimous approval from all stakeholders.
“It would be acceptable if there was full consensus, but that is not the situation at present,” he noted.
These remarks from the Real Madrid coach come ahead of their Sunday encounter with Getafe. Alonso also confirmed that Kylian Mbappé is on track to recover from the ankle injury that kept him out of France’s recent World Cup qualifier against Iceland.
“All players returning from international duty, except Dean (Huijsen), are fit and available for selection,” Alonso confirmed.