'It will be a reality' - La Liga president Javier Tebas reveals plans to host game in Miami 'at some point'

Updated 17/02/2022 at 10:11 GMT

Previous moves to host La Liga fixtures outside of Spain have been blocked by the nation's football federation, but Javier Tebas insists that his organisation will make a game in Miami "a reality". The RFEF relocated the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia on a three-year deal, and Tebas believes that he and RFEF counterpart Luis Rubiales have "different concepts of football".

Javier Tebas (LaLiga)

Image credit: Getty Images

La Liga will make their plans to stage a game in Miami "a reality", the Spanish league's president Javier Tebas has insisted.

Tebas and his organisation have been trying for some time to host a game in the United States in a bid to further unlock a significant overseas market.

However they have faced stern opposition from the Spanish football federation (RFEF) and in 2019 a proposed Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid fixture was called off after a court ruled in favour of the federation.

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The RFEF relocated the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia on a three-year deal in 2020, with Real Madrid taking victory in the four-team format in Riyadh.

Tebas hopes that means the RFEF may now be more amenable, but urged the organisation and current counterpart Luis Rubiales to be more transparent.

"It's not a dream, it will be a reality at some point," Tebas said of holding a game in Miami at a book launch this week, according to MundoDeportivo.

"It is not among our twenty priorities. I am very happy that the RFEF took the Super Cup away [from Spain].

"The problem with [Luis] Rubiales is not personal, it's about different concepts of how we see football.

"I'd happily share a hug with Rubiales or the president of Real Madrid, but it's more that their concept of football is very different.

"In La Liga the vote is secret, not in the federation. The day that process ends in the federation, a step towards democracy will be taken."

Tebas has been in charge of the organisation that governs the top two professional leagues in Spain since 2013.

He was re-elected for a third term in December 2019.

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The 59-year-old, who was born in Costa Rica, has long hoped to strike a deal that would see one La Liga game per season played outside of Spain, citing the success of the NBA and other American sports leagues with similar ventures.

Tebas also hit out at the clubs involved in planning the failed European Super League last year, , accusing them of wishing to "control world football".

"The Superliga concept has existed for many years," he said.