The Spanish La Liga Players' Association is Fighting Against the Greed of the Football Business

La Liga Spain has the potential to make history as the first European domestic league to play a regular season abroad. However, this plan has faced protests from the Spanish Football Association, which remained silent for 15 seconds before the kickoff. Following a busy schedule due to the increasing number of competitions, the greed of the football business has intensified with the organization of matches overseas.

The match that sparked protests from the players was the home game of Villarreal against Barcelona. According to the plan, the match that was supposed to be held at the De La Ceramica Stadium in Villarreal, Spain, has been moved to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, United States. If successful, La Liga President Javier Tebas aims to continue this in the following season. There will not be many La Liga matches held abroad, but only one per season.

Holding league matches abroad has become a way to expand the market while also increasing revenue in the medium to long term. If the La Liga brand becomes more widely recognized, especially in the US market, it will have an impact on increasing value with partners and sponsors.

"We will enhance the value of audiovisual rights with our broadcaster. We hope to increase interest and viewer engagement in other countries as we aim to broadcast this match annually in various countries around the world," said Tebas in a statement.

Holding matches abroad is a common practice among operators of top European leagues. However, matches conducted overseas are usually limited to tournament formats such as the Spanish Super Cup and the Italian Super Cup, rather than regular league matches.

The idea of playing a regular league abroad has faced opposition, even from the players involved. As expressed by Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong, matches in the United States could add to the burden for players due to the long journey of 7,200 kilometers. Undertaking such a distance in the midst of the regular season is considered highly unreasonable.

A differing opinion was expressed by Barca President, Josep Laporta, who stated that the plan to play matches in the United States could have a positive impact on the club's business. Nevertheless, he respects De Jong's opinion while stating that they will adhere to the decision of La Liga.

In response to La Liga's extreme measures, the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) held a symbolic protest by remaining silent for 15 seconds before kick-off. AFE condemned the lack of transparency, dialogue, and coherence from La Liga regarding the possibility of holding matches in the United States.

We are not involved in this protest, but we are doing it out of respect for our fellow footballers. - Pedri

The first protest began during the match between Real Oviedo and Espanyol. The spectators present at the stadium applauded, even though the match had to be delayed for 15 seconds. However, the protest was attempted to be contained to prevent it from spreading worldwide by focusing on the outside of the stadium for 25 seconds while the players remained silent.

Thus, the message that the players attempt to convey becomes unknown to the audience from abroad. The method of suppressing the dissemination of similar protest actions was also implemented during the matches between Sevilla and Real Mallorca, as well as Villarreal against Real Betis.

Through its official statement, AFE mentioned that this symbolic protest received approval from the captains of 20 top teams in La Liga. Barca and Villarreal were not involved in the initiative. However, their players also stood still for 15 seconds during the match.

"We are not involved in this protest, but we do it to honor our fellow footballers," said Barcelona midfielder, Pedri, after the match against Girona.

The wave of protests against the La Liga plan has been heard even since the season began. Not only players, but coaches have also voiced the same concerns. Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, for instance, firmly expressed his disagreement when asked for his response to the plan to hold regular La Liga matches abroad.

According to Alonso, the plan will distort competition. He also criticized the lack of communication with clubs and players. "There is no agreement among teams to play at a neutral venue. There has been no consultation. This protest is positive because many clubs feel it. If there is an agreement, then go ahead (to hold matches abroad), but the reality is not like that," Alonso stated as quoted by The Athletic.

The protest movement from the players is the culmination of their frustration with the ever-increasing greed in the football business. Although brief, the 15-second delay in the match had a significant impact on broadcast production as well as business and sponsorship collaborations.

Through the protest movement, the players attempted to voice their exhaustion from being seemingly forced to become "robots" by enduring a packed schedule and long travels.