Foot & Soccer

Atletico confirm club open to matchup with Barcelona in USA

Atletico confirm club open to matchup with Barcelona in USA

In an exciting development for fans in the United States, Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has confirmed the club’s willingness to participate in a historic La Liga fixture on American soil. The proposed match, scheduled for December 21, 2024, would feature two of Spain’s most iconic teams—Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. If it goes through, this match would mark the first time a LaLiga fixture happens in the United States; potentially taking place in Miami.

Additionally, the idea of hosting LaLiga matches outside Spain has been in discussion for years. Thus, La Liga president Javier Tebas has been at the forefront of pushing the league’s global expansion. He has long advocated for taking Spanish soccer to new markets. The United States, in particular, has been a key target for this expansion. This is given the growing popularity of European soccer there.

In response to these ambitions, Cerezo acknowledged the importance of collaboration if the match benefits Spanish soccer. “Where the boss rules, the sailor does not rule. We don’t know anything about the match. If it is for the good of Spanish football, we are delighted to collaborate,” he told the media, 7signaling Atletico Madrid’s readiness to participate in the groundbreaking event.

FIFA’s role in approving match

While Atletico Madrid has given the green light, there remain hurdles to overcome before the match can take place. FIFA holds the final decision on whether to approve the game in the US. Back in 2019, the Blaugrana had initially proposed a similar idea—a league match against Girona in Miami. However, opposition from the Spanish Football Federation and the players’ union blocked the plan.

This time around, there is optimism. In April 2024, FIFA withdrew from a legal challenge against Relevent, a leading match promoter attempting to stage overseas league matches in the US. Soon after, FIFA announced a working group to study the potential impact of…


Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/atletico-confirm-club-open-to-matchup-with-barcelona-in-usa/

Author : Martina Alcheva

Publish date : 2024-10-24 17:25:51

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