On Tuesday, La Liga made the shock announcement that the proposed Miami game between Villarreal and Barcelona had been cancelled. The promoter in charge of the event chose to pull the plug amid the backlash that it had received, primarily from Spain.
Barcelona have since stated that they “regret the decision”, but it is one that they have accepted. But behind the scenes, there is bound to be even more disappointment, given the financial implications of the cancellation.
As per Diario AS, Barcelona anticipate that the Miami game would have brought in funds in the region of €5-6m, which they say would have made up for having had to play the two matches against Valencia and Getafe at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Barcelona were unable to use the Spotify Camp Nou or Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys for those matches, which meant that they played at the 6,000-capacity stadium instead, which is more typically used for Barcelona Femeni or Barca Atletic games. The matchday revenue was significantly reduced, but in the club’s eyes, it would have been made up more with the trip to the United States in December.
Barcelona need all the money they can get right now
It’s no secret that Barcelona are struggling financially right now, and they are still seeking ways to raise funds. They recently announced a new sponsorship with Uber, and while this will help, more is needed to ensure that a sense of normality can be restored sooner rather than later.
It remains to be seen whether Barcelona find another way to raise the funds that they would have got from playing in Miami. While there will be disappointment higher up at the Catalan club, there has been a more positive feelings from those in-and-around the first team.
