Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid slams LaLiga over plans for Barcelona vs Villarreal match in Miami

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has launched a scathing attack on LaLiga and its President Javier Tebas, criticising the decision to stage Barcelona's away match with Villarreal in Miami on December 20, saying it “distorts the competition”.

The game, set to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium, would be the first LaLiga fixture held outside Spain and the first European league match staged abroad.

While European governing body UEFA reluctantly approved the plan, Real Madrid and other LaLiga teams' players have expressed their opposition, with Courtois leading the charge.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday on the eve of Real’s Champions League clash with visiting Juventus, Courtois accused LaLiga 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.

“LaLiga does whatever it wants because it suits them,” Courtois said. “This decision distorts the competition. Playing at home is not the same as playing away. In LaLiga, 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.”

Courtois also contrasted LaLiga’s plans with the NBA and NFL, who regularly play matches abroad. “The NBA has 82 games, and the NFL’s owners collectively approve these decisions. Here, LaLiga acts unilaterally. It’s not the same,” he said.

Over the weekend, LaLiga players staged silent protests by standing motionless at kickoffs across all matches, symbolising their discontent.

However, LaLiga’s broadcasts ignored the protests in several games, showing a wide, aerial shot of the stadiums accompanied by a banner that read "Commitment to peace", which LaLiga has been using due to the war in Gaza, an attitude that prompted further criticism from Courtois.

“Hiding the protests and trying to change the narrative is censorship and manipulation,” Courtois said. “I’m not surprised. (Tebas) behaves like no other sports executive I’ve ever seen. His actions on social media and in public speak volumes.”

Real Madrid, who opposed the decision as early as August, have filed two complaints with Spain’s Sports Ministry, arguing that the move undermines the league’s competitive integrity.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone also weighed in on the controversy, expressing his scepticism over the Miami fixture.

“I won’t believe it until I see it,” he told reporters. “The home team loses the advantage. Their fans won’t be there, and they have to travel thousands of miles. We need to respect the fans.”

LaLiga has repeatedly defended its plan to stage matches abroad, stating that the proposal "does not distort competition or violate any rights of players, clubs or fans".

However, with the match now scheduled for Miami, the stage is set for further tension between the league and its players.