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Captains of Barcelona and Real Madrid will be among representatives from La Liga clubs who will meet on Wednesday to discuss La Liga’s plans to stage a game in the United States, among other issues.
The meeting will take place at the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) headquarters in Madrid and after its conclusion, AFE president David Aganzo will give a news conference.
“A meeting between captains and players representing their top division clubs will take place in order to discuss several issues that worry all of them,” the AFE said in a statement. “The AFE and the footballers don’t understand the unilateral decisions taken by La Liga regarding plans for a league game to be played in the United States.
“The players, as they have notified to AFE, are surprised and upset over not being consulted in an agreement that directly affects them. With their decisions, La Liga are distancing the fans from the players, something that damages the show and the essence of football.
“The players again feel marginalised when it comes to making decisions while we feel that they are the main stars and that their opinions are crucial.”
The AFE already expressed its disapproval of La Liga’s decision to have one league game staged abroad, as part of the 15-year-agreement it signed this month with Relevent, the sports and entertainment company that operates the International Champions Cup.
They also accused La Liga of not consulting the players and using them as “bargaining chips.”
Players are also reportedly upset by La Liga’s schedule, with league games being played from Friday until Monday, and the AFE expressed their concerns on this matter.
“Again this season, the AFE’s opinion regarding the times and schedules of the First and Second Division games have not been taken into account, approving them without the consent of our association,” they said. “The players again feel punished by the times of certain games that can damage their health due to weather conditions or because of the limited recovery time.”
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