Move is strategic and compensation plans have been discussed, says Nicolas Garcia Hemme
La Liga North America managing director Nicolas Garcia Hemme has defended the decision to stage Barcelona’s December league game against Villareal in the United States.
The match, set for 20 December at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, will be the first competitive European game played on US soil. It comes after years of aborted and hugely unpopular attempts to export domestic fixtures.
The plans have provoked a lot of controversy, not just in Spain but also across the European football world, including among supporters and leading figures in Uefa, the European Commission and Fifa.
“This is strategic for us,” said Garcia Hemme. “It is very important for us to make sure that people understand that we as La Liga are willing to be bold, are willing to be innovative, are willing to try things in a different way, and we’re gonna try.
Garcia Hemme conceded that some Spanish fans, particularly season-ticket holders at Villarreal, may feel sidelined by the fixture’s relocation. But in response La Liga is weighing up plans to assuage fans as much as possible, including offering subsidised travel for supporters in Spain.
“So even with the game, there’s been conversations about a compensation plan for the fans of Villarreal at home,” said Garcia Hemme. “That is something that costs a lot of money, and we are willing to do the investment.”
“We are willing to do the investment to make sure that we balance the feelings of both fans in the US that wake up at 5 a.m. to watch a game in LA and are willing to travel to Miami to watch that game, and fans in Villarreal that are season ticket holders and feel that the club is part of their lifestyle.”
