Source: REUTERS/Borja Suarez
[Saba Sports News] According to the latest reports from Spanish media, La Liga plans to hold some games in the U.S. to attract more attention and generate additional revenue, with this plan receiving support from several La Liga teams. However, as a La Liga powerhouse, Real Madrid has explicitly opposed it. Club President Florentino Perez believes that hosting games in the U.S. does not align with the club’s or fans’ interests. He expressed confusion over who benefits from such games in the U.S., stating that this approach does not reflect the will of the club or its fans and would undermine the integrity of the league. This editor believes that home advantage is significant in football, including fan support and familiarity with the playing field. If games are held in the U.S., the home advantage for participating teams may be weakened or eliminated, potentially causing match outcomes to be influenced by non-competitive factors and damaging the fairness and competitive balance of the league. Real Madrid fears that clubs like Barcelona, which have high popularity in the U.S., could receive more support in away games, making competitions unfair for other teams. Such concerns are reasonable. Maintaining competitive fairness is at the core of sports events. Real Madrid’s opposition helps ensure that La Liga is conducted in a fair environment.