The'referee blows the whistle but the players do not move: protest in Spain

Barcelona and Girona have also decided to join other La Liga teams in protesting the federation’s decision to have the match between the Catalans and Villarreal played in Miami, USA.

The players of Barcelona and Girona, who faced each other Saturday afternoon, stood motionless at the whistle and waited until the 15th second to begin play. The protest had already been seen at Real Oviedo-Espanyol and Sevilla-Mallorca.

Villarreal and Barcelona will play each other on Dec. 21 in Miami but the decision sparked an uproar. So many fans complained and the dissent also involved the players, Frenkie de Jong above all. The Dutch champion was crystal clear: “I absolutely disagree with this decision” he said a few days ago.

“We players often complain about the busy schedule– continued the’former Ajax– but no one listens to us, on the contrary they send us to play in the United States. This is not normal, the clubs may gain from it but it remains something I absolutely do not agree with”.

Even in Italy great discussions arose after the League’s decision to play the match between Milan and Como in Australia, in Perth. Adrien Rabiot did not mince words: “Totally crazy. Then they are economic arrangements so that the league has some visibility, all this is above us. It’s crazy to travel so many kilometers to have a match between two Italian teams played in Australia. We have to adapt. As always. There is a lot of talk about calendars and the health of the players, but this all seems really absurd”.

Mike Maignan agreed with his teammate but Luigi De Siervo, ad of the League, responded harshly.

“Rabiot forgets, like all footballers who earn millions of euros, that they are paid to perform an’activity, namely playing soccer – said De Siervo -. He should have respect for the money he earns and indulge more in what is his employer, that is, Milan, which accepted and pushed for this match to be played abroad’abroad”.