The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Javier Tebas

  • Madrid outline opposition to La Liga’s Miami game

    Real Madrid have written to Spain’s football federation outlining their opposition to La Liga’s plans to stage a match between Girona and Barcelona in Miami, delivering another blow to league hopes of playing one game a season in the United States.
    A spokeswoman for the federation confirmed to Reuters that it had received the letter, which was widely quoted by local media on Wednesday.
    The Miami match, pencilled in for Jan. 26, would be the first game to take place as part of a 15-year deal struck between La Liga and entertainment company Relevent.
    “First of all, we would neither like to declare that Real Madrid were never informed that La Liga had requested to play the game nor of the intention to make the request.
    “We were never asked our opinion on it. “Nor, obviously, did La Liga obtain Real Madrid’s agreement.
    “In spite the fact that this game affects a competition in which we participate,” said the club’s Director General Jose Angel Sanchez.
    A spokesman for La Liga reiterated on Wednesday that no club would be forced to play in the United States and that it was entirely voluntary.

    Read Also: Real Madrid more of a team without Ronaldo – Bale

    The Federation has told La Liga it cannot approve the proposal, which also requires the green light from UEFA, CONCACAF and the United States soccer federation, until it receives more information.
    Federation President Luis Rubiales has expressed his opposition to the move while the Spanish footballers’ union has also protested the plans.
    Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez has spoken out against it while the club’s coach Julen Lopetegui has said: “every team (in the league) should play at every ground”.
    Real’s letter addressed the same concerns.
    “We cannot forget that the national league is a competition in which 20 teams participate, not two.
    “And that it is fundamental that every team plays each other twice, home and away and at each stadium, as that guarantees the integrity and the equality of the competition.
    “As a consequence, Real Madrid manifests its opposition to the request made to play the game at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami as it affects the integrity and equality of the competition,”it said
    La Liga President, Javier Tebas told Reporter earlier this month there were many things that could threaten the integrity of a competition, but the Miami game was not one of them.
    “In a World Cup, a team playing a … semi-final on Tuesday has a greater advantage in the final than the team playing on Wednesday.
    “Teams have also played at other stadiums while their grounds are being renovated or in order to generate more revenue.
    “If we really believe in this sporting puritanism, then we would need to make many changes in football,”Tebas said.

  • ‘Lazy’ midfield, ‘suicidal’ defence, Spain stung by England loss

    Spain’s 3-2 defeat to England in the Nations League on Monday not only burst the bubble of optimism surrounding new coach Luis Enrique.

    It also dredged up unpleasant memories of their woeful World Cup campaign in Russia.

    England raced to a 3-0 lead and the hosts were booed off at the break in Seville.

    Spain fought back in the second half with two goals, but it was not enough to prevent Luis Enrique suffering his first defeat since taking over in July.

    The coach’s arrival had lifted the gloom after Spain’s disastrous showing at the World Cup, where they were knocked out by the unfancied hosts in the last 16.

    “The doubts that seemed buried after the horrors of Russia are back.

    “They took a whack from reality that sent them back three months,” said daily newspaper Marca on Tuesday.

    Read Also: Luis Enrique appointed Spain coach

    Newspaper AS said Spain should have had a penalty but delivered a harsh assessment of the side’s performance, saying “the midfield was lazy and the defence was too high up and suicidal”.

    Centre back Sergio Ramos scored Spain’s second goal in stoppage time but he was criticized by the media.

    “There’s a Madrid fan in the office who says he needs just one minute of a game to know which version of Sergio Ramos is playing.

    “When he plays in Seville (his birthplace) he practically always shows off … he subtracts more than he contributes.

    “It seems that in his brain he only hears one sentence. `You are the best Sergio, the best.’ It might be too late now but maybe people shouldn’t say it so much,” wrote Juan Carlos Diaz in Marca

    La Liga President Javier Tebas said Spain’s fans also let the country down after some of them booed the English national anthem.

    “National anthems represent the noblest and most profound feelings of many people. They must always be respected.

    “We have to apologise to the English and make that what happened yesterday doesn’t happen again,” he said on Twitter.

  • Spanish federation delays approval of Girona-Barca match

    La Liga’s plans to move Girona’s fixture with Barcelona on Jan. 26 to Miami hang in the balance, after the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) declined to authorise the move until it received more information on the game.

    “We have received a letter from the RFEF requesting more information about our proposal to play a La Liga competition match in the USA.

    “We will provide that information,” La Liga’s head of communications Joris Evers told Reuters on Tuesday.

    According to world governing body FIFA’s statutes, any domestic competition played outside the league’s usual home must be approved by the home federation.

    The approval of European governing body UEFA, the federation where the game is taking place, and the regional confederation – in this case the United States Soccer Federation and CONCACAF would be required.

    “They are not saying no, they are asking for more documentation. “Evidently, they are not very keen on it, but I’m still optimistic,” La Liga president Javier Tebas told reporters gathered outside the organisation’s headquarters on Friday.

    In August the Spanish federation took the Spanish Super Cup outside of Spain for the first time, as Barcelona met Sevilla in Tangier, Morocco.

    “The federation may not like the idea of us playing this game.

    “But the president of the RFEF has to resolve this legally, with the precedent of having taken a game to Tangier after everything that has been said about adulterating the competition,” Tebas added.

    Read Also: Tebas: 90 percent chance Girona against Barcelona in U.S

    “The game (in Miami) is still alive, without a doubt. We believe we are in the right and we will respond to all the doubts expressed in the letter.

    “This isn’t about us wanting to play a game in Miami, it’s a strategic plan to promote our brand amid the relentless competition for broadcasting rights,” he said.

    Girona and Barcelona declined requests from Reuters to comment.

    In August, La Liga announced a landmark 15-year promotion deal with U.S. Entertainment Company Relevent, the organiser of the annual International Champions Cup tournament played across the United States, Asia and Europe.

    The agreement included plans to play one game a year stateside.

    The plans were initially rejected by the Spanish Footballer’s Union, the AFE, who said they were prepared to go on strike in order to prevent the match from going ahead.

    Earlier this month, Barca spokesman Josep Vives said the club supported the idea of playing abroad, but would only do so if all parties in Spanish football agreed.

    “We’re interested in playing in the United States because it’s a strategic market, but we want it to be done consensually, in agreement and in harmony with the players and the Spanish soccer federation,” he said.

    Last week Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui said he was opposed to the idea, telling a news conference: “I don’t agree with this game, all the teams should play in the same stadiums.”

  • Tebas: 90 percent chance Girona against Barcelona in U.S

    La Liga Chief Javier Tebas has said there is a 90 per cent chance the first Spanish top flight game in the U.S. will be Girona’s ‘home’ match against Barcelona in January.

    He revealed the league will earn 200 million euros ($232.80 million) for playing games in North America.

    Tebas added that Girona’s joint majority shareholders Manchester City had encouraged the Catalan side to get involved in the initiative.

    Part of a 15-year deal the league signed with U.S. entertainment company Relevent last month, while stating that no club was obliged to play games in the U.S.

    “Girona-Barcelona will 90 percent be played in the United States, but the agreement is not about just one game.
    “It’s about a process which is much bigger,” “We held a bidding process and various companies got involved.

    “There’s no obligation for teams to play one game a year in the United States, only the clubs who volunteer to go will go.

    “But this is much more than a game, it’s about strategy and sponsorship,” Tebas said in an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero broadcast on Friday.

    Read Also: El Classico, a global spectacle

    The game will deprive Girona of a home fixture with Tebas confirming reports that the club’s fans will be offered free flights to the game set to take place at the Miami Dolphins’ 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.

    The News men was awaiting a response from Manchester City and Girona after Tebas confirmed the Premier League champions had encouraged the club to get involved in the first U.S. match.
    “The game is designed to help teams that don’t have a very big fan base.

    “Girona are partly owned by City and together with (Miami Dolphins owner) Stephen Ross, they told us Girona were interested in playing this game.

    “Now several teams with a similar profile to Girona have shown interest because they see it as an opportunity.

    “Season ticket holders will be compensated and there is an opportunity to travel to Miami. Relevent will pay the costs,” Tebas added.

    Girona, who were promoted to the top flight for the first time in 2017, said they had received the offer to play the game against Barcelona but it had yet to be officially confirmed.

    “The club has accepted this offer, understanding that it is a great possibility to expand and grow, not only for the club but also for our city and our territory.

    “Three years ago, the club was fighting against going out of business and now our objective is to consolidate ourselves in La Liga.

    “This action would be another step in competing in football’s elite after all the efforts we have made and which has led to us being promoted to the top flight,” a statement on the official Girona website said.