Barcelona vs Girona: Uncertainty over Miami meeting lingers ahead of La Liga clash

Barcelona play Girona at Camp Nou on Sunday amid continued uncertainty over their next meeting in January.

The champions host their regional rivals in an-all Catalan clash in La Liga, but much of the focus will be on their proposed match in Miami early next year.

La Liga announced a 15-year-agreement with sports and entertainment company Relevent In August which will see one fixture per season played in North America.

However, those proposals were soon met with opposition by the AFE (Association of Spanish Footballers), while Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has said he will veto the game.

“We have asked for a legal report and to this day, the Montilivi match cannot be played in Miami,” Rubiales said in a long statement released by the RFEF on Friday.

The fixture in question is Girona’s home match against Barca in the 21st round of La Liga, which was originally scheduled to take place at Montilivi on the weekend of January 26th and 27th.

The two clubs have both agree in principle to playing in Miami and Liga president Javier Tebas insists the game will go ahead in the United States.

“The game is still on,” Tebas said on Friday. “We believe we are right, and we will try to show that to the relevant authorities. We are going to respond to everything they say and we will keep working.”

“This match is very important in our strategic plan in the United States,” he added. “I can assure you that we are not going to just accept that they tell us no.”

Meanwhile, Girona have made 1,500 tickets available for fans who want to travel to Miami for the proposed game, at no extra cost, among a number of measures to compensate their supporters for the North American fixture.

The Catalan club also made 5,000 free tickets available to their members for the trip to Camp Nou on Sunday, although only 1,200 of those have been snapped up. Even if the US fixture does not go ahead, those supporters will not have to pay anything back for attending the derby in Barcelona.

A few fans protested in Girona last week with a banner which read: “We want to play at Montilivi!” In the 3-2 win at home to Celta Vigo on Monday night, there were chants for Tebas to resign due to the proposed Miami match.

“The game will be played in several months,” Barca boss Ernesto Valverde said on Saturday in the pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s game against Girona on Sunday. “It’s clear that it will be played. We will have to see where and how. I’m only concerned about tomorrow’s game.”

And Girona coach Eusebio Sacristan, in his meeting with the media ahead of Sunday’s game, said: “We haven’t spoken about all of that.”

Both Barca and Girona fans could use the Camp Nou clash to protest against Tebas’ proposal, although the players and coaches have clearly been told to remain diplomatic when asked about the proposed fixture in Miami.

“If it happens, we want it to be in good conditions for everyone,” Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets said on international duty earlier this month. And Girona captain Alex Granell said this week: “It would be strange to see a league game not played in Girona, but I’m sure it would be for the good of the club.”

Real Madrid have come out in opposition to the proposed fixture, however. “I’m not in agreement with that game,” coach Julen Lopetegui said last week. “All teams should play in their stadium in La Liga.”

And president Florentino Perez said this week: “I’m absolutely against playing a home game away from your stadium. It also distorts the competition. I have declared myself against it.”