"Less than two weeks after LaLiga announced it would stage its first-ever regular-season match outside of Spain, with champions Barcelona taking on Villarreal at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 20, it confirmed on Tuesday that the game was off. It was the latest in a long line of setbacks for the league in its attempts to host a competitive fixture on foreign soil, but certainly the most chastening and high profile."
"While top European clubs playing matches against each other abroad is nothing new -- with heavyweight clashes on preseason tours and even Super Cup matches now annual events across the globe -- so far they have yet to follow the lead of U.S. sports leagues like the NFL and NBA in staging regular-season league fixtures beyond their own borders."
Less than two weeks after announcing a first-ever regular-season match outside Spain — Barcelona vs Villarreal scheduled for Dec. 20 at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium — LaLiga confirmed the game was canceled. The cancellation follows multiple earlier failed bids since a 2018 15-year partnership with Relevent, including a Girona vs Barcelona bid in January 2019 and a Villarreal vs Atlético attempt in February 2020. Top European clubs commonly play preseason and Super Cup fixtures abroad, but regular-season league matches have not been staged outside home countries. The Miami plan was the closest attempt so far, with Real Madrid among beneficiaries.
Read at ESPN.com
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