"On Tuesday night, Spanish television broadcast reaction to the news from the Estadio de la Ceramica, live and unfiltered. Cameras caught someone else who felt dismissed and disrespected, treated as if they didn't count. This time it was someone who was supposed to be on the league's side, but now appeared as a portrait of poor planning and poorer communication, a lack of consideration that pushed the project to collapse."
"The man in shot was Fernando Roig Negueroles, the chief executive of Villarreal, due to be the home team at the Hard Rock Stadium on 20 December. Sitting in the stands, a cigarette in his mouth, he stared at his phone where the statement had just dropped. It was official, public now: La Liga would not be going to Miami. Roig got up, paced about, threw looks of disbelief at some of those around him and accusing glances at the screen."
"The league had known for at least five hours, the promoters, Relevent, telling the league it was cancelling because it had not been given the guarantees it would go ahead. Barcelona, playing at 6.45pm, had finished against Olympiakos when the statement arrived."
La Liga's fourth attempt to stage a match in Miami collapsed when promoters Relevent cancelled the event after failing to secure guarantees. Villarreal learned the match was off shortly before their 9pm kickoff while Barcelona had already finished earlier that evening. The league and Relevent had known for at least five hours before the public announcement, but the cancellation statement went out during Villarreal's game at Estadio de la Ceramica, leaving the club's chief executive Fernando Roig visibly furious. Villarreal's coach Marcelino Garcia Toral called the timing 'an absolute lack of respect.' The episode exposed poor planning, communication failures and disregard for clubs and staff.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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