‘Real Madrid have lost legitimacy’ – Villarreal Chief on USA game

Villarreal President Fernando Roig Negueroles has expressed his frustration at the handling of the Miami game, after their clash with Barcelona in the United States was cancelled on Tuesday night. However he was still in favour of the idea, and dismissed Real Madrid’s complaints about the concept.

La Liga President Javier Tebas has promised to continue efforts to try and take the game to the USA, after calling it a missed opportunity. Meanwhile the decision has been celebrated at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Thibaut Courtois gave a detailed criticism of Tebas and La Liga for their handling of both the Miami game and other issues within the league.

‘I think Tebas is trying to do what’s best for La Liga’ – Villarreal President

Villarreal President Fernando Roig Negueroles was seen reacting angrily in the stands to the news on Tuesday night as they took on Manchester City, upon finding out about it. He was still in favour of the idea, but resented the way it had played out.

“I don’t think it was a malicious use, but we certainly worked ourselves into a lot of pain, only to get nothing and be the protagonists of something that was very beautiful to us and that has turned into something ugly,” he told Cadena Cope.

“I’m very angry and upset about how things turned out, but I think he’s trying to do what’s best for the Spanish League,” he said of Tebas.

Ig story Lamine Yamal. pic.twitter.com/gmytc4MHB7

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 23, 2025

‘Real Madrid have lost legitimacy’ – Roig Negueroles

Meanwhile Roig Negueroles went on to dismiss Real Madrid’s complaints against the game, who said that the game would corrupt the competition.

“It seems like they’re going against everyone. At the European level, they’re losing more and more influence because no one believes their rhetoric anymore. In Spain, the press still pays a lot of attention to what they say, but they’re against everything,” he commented to RadioMarca, as quoted by Cope.

“I agree with Real Madrid on many things, but they lose legitimacy because they protest absolutely everything that’s proposed. Even things they approved three or four years ago, like the US match, which was approved by a Delegate Committee. If something was good for them, they would also protest.”