Javier Tebas, the president of LALIGA, has expressed his desire to revive plans to host a LALIGA fixture outside of Spain, specifically in Miami. Tebas, who was recently re-elected until 2027, sees this as a way to bring more economic benefits to the league. He believes that recent court rulings regarding the European Super League support his vision of playing a game abroad. Tebas originally proposed this idea in 2018 but faced opposition from fan groups and FIFA.
In a recent interview with El País, Tebas mentioned that the game in Miami would have both sporting and economic connotations. He plans to take up this idea once again but not in the short term. Tebas believes that the federation only needs to focus on taking one game to Miami for now. He has no plans to extend this to multiple games during his term of office. The proposal to play Girona vs Barcelona and Villarreal vs Atlético Madrid in the United States was scrapped six years ago due to pressure from fan groups and FIFA.
Tebas also shared his thoughts on the European Super League project, which has faced opposition from him and other key figures in European soccer. He believes that creating another competition would reduce the number of weekends for games and hurt television audiences. Despite court rulings initially supporting LALIGA, Tebas thinks that the battle against the Super League has just begun. He is wary of Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez’s influence and power in European soccer.
Regarding his future as the president of LALIGA, Tebas hinted that this could be his last mandate. However, he expressed his willingness to continue if the issue of the Super League persists and poses a threat to European and Spanish soccer. If the Super League proposal dies down, Tebas plans to step down from his position and go home. With one eye on Miami and another on the Super League, Tebas’s leadership in the next four years is expected to be eventful and challenging.
In conclusion, Javier Tebas’s plan to bring a LALIGA fixture to Miami has been rekindled, with hopes of bringing economic benefits to the league. His opposition to the European Super League project and concerns about its impact on European soccer demonstrate his commitment to protecting the current soccer ecosystem. With recent court rulings supporting LALIGA and ongoing battles with key figures such as Florentino Pérez, Tebas is facing a challenging but promising future as the president of LALIGA. His term until 2027 may be his last, but he is prepared to continue if necessary to safeguard the future of European and Spanish soccer.
