European Commissioner Glenn Micallef welcomed the decision to cancel a Spanish La Liga football match which was set to be played in Miami, in the United States, instead of in Spain.

Barcelona were set to play against Villareal in Miami, rather than in Spain, in December, but after mounting pressure and a protest by players – who stood still for the first 15 seconds of their matches last weekend – the game was shelved by the organising company Relevant.

La Liga President Javier Tebas was among those critical of the decision to cancel the match: he described the cancellation as a lost opportunity for Spanish football and blamed European institutions for the match not going ahead.

Micallef, though, who is the European Commissioner for Sport, was satisfied with the cancellation.

He said that the cancellation was “a victory for fans, players and the traditions that make European football special.”

“This is a strong affirmation for the European Sport Model and the value it represents,” he said.

“When sport listens to its fans and its players, it strengthens the game.  That’s the essence of the European Sport Model.  La Liga’s decision reminds us that ambition in sport must always move in step with integrity, not ahead of it.  I trust that continued collaboration between leagues, clubs, and institutions will safeguard what unites us,” Micallef said.

He said that institutions must keep working together to safeguard integrity and fair competition between clubs and their communities.

“I trust that Serie A will reflect on this approach,” he said, in reference to another domestic league match which is set to be played abroad.

A league match between AC Milan and Como is set to be played in Perth, Australia, as Milan’s home stadium the San Siro will be unavailable due to the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Not all agree, however.  Milan’s coach Massimiliano Allegri told the press that he preferred if the match is played in Italy.

UEFA had approved the requests for the Milan-Como and Villarreal-Barcelona matches to take place abroad, while stressing that it did so reluctantly and remained opposed to domestic league matches being played in other countries.