Barça management wants to play La Liga match in US, despite players' refusal

Barcelona's club management on Wednesday said it was still interested in playing a competitive La Liga match in the United States against Girona this season, despite the continued refusal by the Spanish football players' union to go along with the plan.

Barcelona spokesperson Josep Vives said there was still a long way to go before the proposed match in January against Girona becomes a reality, reports Efe news.

"We are interested in playing there (in the United States) because it is a strategic market, but we want it to be in consensus, agreement and harmony between the players and the Spanish soccer federation," Vives said.

Girona's management has also said, in a joint statement with Barça, it is willing to play the match in Miami.

Vives added that Barcelona's players understood the club's position on the matter, after the squad had been upset about not being informed of the possibility of playing in the US.

On Monday, the players' union president David Aganzo met with La Liga chairman Javier Tebas, after which Aganzo told reporters that his priority was to make games easily accessible to fans and not about giving undue influence to broadcasting rights and other countries.

In August, the top Spanish league announced the creation of La Liga North America, on a 15-year deal in cooperation with the multinational media company Relevent, to promote soccer in the US and Canada, including playing a competitive La Liga game in the United States - the first outside Europe.

Following this announcement, the Spanish players' union held a meeting on August 22 with all of the La Liga teams' captains, who rejected the proposal.

--IANS

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