Two doubts holding up Spanish Federation green light for Barcelona-Atletico Madrid USA game | OneFootball

The last week has seen plenty of talk resurface about the possibility of La Liga hosting their first ever game outside of Spain, and they are currently working to get the relevant permissions from FIFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The fixture they intend to hold in the USA is Barcelona’s theoretical home tie against Atletico Madrid scheduled for the 21st or 22nd of December.

The idea was put on hold after a previous attempt in 2019, after La Liga tried to host Girona-Barcelona in Miami, and it was blocked by then RFEF President Luis Rubiales, who had a long-running feud with his counterpart Javier Tebas. No with an interim committee leading the RFEF, due to the suspension of President Pedro Rocha, there is no opposition, Tebas is trying to force the matter through, as per Cadena SER.

The most likely option is that it is held at the 65,000-seater Hard-Rock Stadium in Miami, who assure that they could have the stadium ready for the game, and then host the Miami Dolphins game against the San Francisco 49ers just hours later in the NFL. That tie is scheduled for the evening of Sunday the 22nd of December.

The green light from the Federation is one of multiple needed for the game to go ahead, with La Liga partner Relevent trying to push through the permission needed from FIFA in time for it to happen. Their information is that there are two potential doubts that could hold things up on the RFEF side. One is that Barcelona may make demands of La Liga, whether they be monetary or regulation-wise, to go ahead with it. The other is who will sign off on the matter from the interim committee at the RFEF, as they would then be legally responsible.

Rocha was suspended for overstepping the duties assigned to him as interim president, and clearly that is a tangible fear, but the feeling in Spain is that Tebas may finally get his wish to hold a game in the USA. Atletico Madrid are keen for it to go ahead, and Barcelona are open to it too, although Atletico captain Jose Maria Gimenez did express his desire for the game to remain in Spain. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick sidestepped the question in his press conference on Tuesday.