Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois slams La Liga over plans for Villarreal-Barca tie in Miami
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Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois during the warm up before their Champions League match against Marseille in September.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MADRID – Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has launched a scathing attack on La Liga and its president Javier Tebas, criticising the decision to stage Barcelona’s away match with Villarreal in Miami on Dec 20, saying it “distorts the competition”.
The game, set to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium, would be the first La Liga fixture held outside Spain and the first European league match staged abroad.
While European governing body Uefa reluctantly approved the plan, Real and other La Liga players have expressed their opposition, with Courtois leading the charge.
Speaking at a press conference on Oct 21 on the eve of Real’s Champions League clash with visiting Juventus, the Belgian international accused La Liga of bypassing clubs in the decision-making process.
He argued that the move undermines the principles of fairness in the home-and-away league format.
“La Liga does whatever it wants because it suits them,” the 33-year-old said. “This decision distorts the competition. Playing at home is not the same as playing away.
“In La Liga, playing away is very difficult, as we saw against Real Sociedad and Getafe. Villarreal away is tough. It’s not fair to change the rules mid-season without consulting us.”
Courtois also contrasted La Liga’s plans with the National Basketball Association and National Football League, which regularly play matches abroad. “The NBA has 82 games, and the NFL’s owners collectively approve these decisions. Here, La Liga acts unilaterally. It’s not the same,” he said.
Over the weekend, La Liga players staged silent protests by standing motionless at kick-offs across all matches, symbolising their discontent.
However, La Liga’s broadcasts ignored the protests in several games. They showed a wide, aerial shot of the stadiums accompanied by a banner that read “Commitment to peace”, which La Liga has been using due to the war in Gaza, an attitude that prompted further criticism from Courtois.
“Hiding the protests and trying to change the narrative is censorship and manipulation,” he said. “I’m not surprised. (Tebas) behaves like no other sports executive I’ve ever seen. His actions on social media and in public speak volumes.”
Real, who opposed the decision as early as August, have filed two complaints with Spain’s Sports Ministry, arguing that the move undermines the league’s competitive integrity.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone also weighed in on the controversy, expressing his scepticism over the Miami fixture.
“I won’t believe it until I see it,” he told reporters. “The home team loses the advantage. Their fans won’t be there, and they have to travel thousands of miles. We need to respect the fans.”
La Liga has repeatedly defended its plan to stage matches abroad, stating that the proposal “does not distort competition or violate any rights of players, clubs or fans”.
However, with the match now scheduled for Miami, the stage is set for further tension between the league and its players. REUTERS
