Players protest against Miami game – and La Liga censors it

Espanyol and Real Oviedo players went ahead with the planned protest against La Liga’s plans to host Villarreal-Barcelona on Friday night, but La Liga refused to broadcast images of it to the TV audience. The players had agreed to pause for the opening 15 seconds of the game, as they demand transparency and dialogue with La Liga over the plans.

After the first whistle was blown, the players remained stationary, but La Liga’s broadcast cut to an aerial view of the stadium while this was the case. Only once the action had started did the cameras return to what was happening on the pitch, after 21 seconds.

What are players protesting against?

LaLiga earlier this week confirmed that they would be hosting Villarreal-Barcelona at the end of December, but the players and Spanish Footballers Association (AFE) have been unhappy with the lack of communication and information on the matter from La Liga. Their issue is not with the concept of the game itself, but rather the handling of the matter. On Tuesday La Liga were due to meet with AFE and the RFEF to discuss things further, but could not do so due to a scheduling issue, and say that they offered three alternative dates, but AFE saw this as a delaying tactic.

Ahead of the protest, and the game, La Liga President Javier Tebas sent a six-page letter to AFE explaining some fine points of the plans, as per Diario AS. However AFE felt this was not sufficient to call of the protest. Issues that the players are concerned include the number of games to be played abroad, and how the money is being distributed.

La Liga have not shown footage of the first 25 seconds of the game between Real Oviedo and Espanyol. It is rumoured that all of La Liga teams’ captains have decided to not play any football in the first 15-30 seconds of the games this weekend as a protest for the Villarreal – FC…

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Espanyol veteran unhappy with La Liga

After Espanyol’s 2-0 win over Real Oviedo, veteran defender Leandro Cabrera spoke to Diario AS, and explained that La Liga’s issue to rearrange the meeting was of little use.

“That was something we had already agreed upon among the players, although later they tried to release news that it was being halted for other, unrelated reasons. Last week, a meeting with LaLiga was requested, but they couldn’t. They scheduled a meeting for next week, when we know seven or eight teams are playing in Europe and can’t meet, and they want to meet the following week, when they’ve already sold out, and now there’s no turning back,” Cabrera clarified.

“First, it doesn’t make sense, and second, if everything is so transparent and honest, why don’t they meet and talk? And LaLiga also revealed that in the last ten years, it has given €100m to the players, but also to people whose salaries have increased at the same rate. Consistency must be the same for everyone,” potentially referencing the salary of President Javier Tebas, which is on par or more than many footballers.

Cabrera’s annoyance continued on with La Liga’s refusal to show the protest.

“This also applies to the two who will be playing in Miami. All we’re asking for this weekend is respect and transparency. The only thing we wanted to show was a pause and that we disagree. They must have filmed some birds on the roof. I don’t know what they did, but I honestly don’t understand it.”