Courtois: ‘La Liga does whatever it wants because it suits them’
Protests from players have been ignored in official broadcasts
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has launched a scathing attack on La Liga, criticising the league’s decision to stage Barcelona’s away match against Villarreal in Miami on 20 December, saying it “distorts the competition”.
The fixture, which is set to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium, would be the first La Liga fixture held outside Spain and the first European league match staged abroad. While Uefa has “reluctantly” approved the plan, Real Madrid and other teams in Spain’s top flight have expressed their opposition.
Speaking on Tuesday before Real’s Champions League fixture against Juventus, Courtois accused La Liga of bypassing clubs in the decision-making process and argued that the move undermines the principles of fairness in the home-and-away league format. “La Liga does whatever it wants because it suits them,” said the Belgian. “This decision distorts the competition. Playing at home is not the same as playing away. In La Liga, playing away is very difficult, as we saw against Real Sociedad and Getafe. Villarreal away is tough. It’s not fair to change the rules mid-season without consulting us.”
