Disenfranchised fans, unnecessarily damaged carbon footprint, and a game where neither team gets the home benefit. Of course, none of this matters to Real Madrid's rivals, Barcelona, where money is concerned.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you will know that Barcelona moved its December fixture against Villarreal to Miami. It is the first time that a Liga match has ever been played in a foreign country, and the reasoning is believed to be to expand La Liga's worldwide market.
Or at least that's been the messaging. Of course, the elephant in the room, and the real reason why this formerly inconceivable concept has even been brought to light, is money.
Now we know why Barcelona jumped at the chance to play in Miami
According to a report from Cadena SER, Barcelona is set to earn around €5 million ($5.8 million) from moving this fixture to Miami. It is a fee that is not official, only predicted, but it will be paid by Relevent, the company marketing the match.
It is a move which benefits three parties: Barcelona, the company Relevant, and any Barcelona fans local to Miami. It does not benefit any other party, so it is clear to see why it has caused an uproar among the Barcelona and La Liga fanbase at large.
Current Barcelona player Frenkie De Jong recently expressed his dissatisfaction, and many fans agree with him.
“I don’t like the fact that we’re going to play there, and I don’t agree with this,” the Barcelona midfielder said.
“It’s not fair for the competition. Now we’re playing an away game on neutral ground. I don’t like it and I don’t think it’s right for the players. The clubs are going to get paid for this, but I don’t agree with playing a league game in Miami. I understand that other clubs don’t agree."
It is certainly bold of De Jong to speak out against a decision made by his current employers, but it at least shows he is connected with the fans.
It is a completely different lens through which to view this decision. Players are already forced to play enough games in a season, let alone throwing jet lag into the mix.
Playing games abroad is a cool concept, and one that gets fans across the globe to participate in the sport. That, we can certainly agree on. What a cool experience for the Barcelona fanbase in Miami. They deserve this, and hopefully, they manage to get tickets. La Liga football is for everybody.
However, let's not act like Barcelona's biggest motive was to appeal to those fans in Miami. It wasn't, let's be adults here. The dollar signs were the main pull factor.
If this is the future of La Liga, then Real Madrid fans must brace for what's to come. There is little use in campaigning, because as shown time and time again, fan voice doesn't matter too much for the official bodies when sums in their millions are on the devil's shoulder.