La Liga chief Tebas praises Barcelona and criticizes Real Madrid and UEFA in explosive social media speech.

La Liga president Javier Tebas called the cancellation of Barcelona's clash with Villarreal in Miami a “lost opportunity” and took aim at UEFA and Real Madrid in a social media rant.

The match was due to take place at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium in December, but the plan faced widespread opposition from clubs, players and fans. prompting relevant promoters to pull out last night.

Tebas was the driving force behind the project and failed to hide his frustration with X, first lashing out at UEFA, European football's governing body, who made their opposition to the idea clear.

He wrote: “Today, Spanish football has lost an opportunity to move forward, to project itself on a global scale and to strengthen its future.

“The defense of 'tradition' is invoked from a narrow and provincial perspective, while the true traditions of European football are threatened by the decisions of the governing institutions which, year after year, destroy the national leagues, the true driving force of the European football industry, amid the naivety and passivity of European leaders who fail to distinguish the insignificant from the essential.”

Tebas criticizes Real Madrid

He also rejected the idea that the integrity of the sport would be lost by staging the match abroad in a move that appeared to be aimed at Real Madrid. Madrid captain Dani Carvajal has denied the plan, calling it a “distortion of La Liga's reputation”.

He added: “The integrity of the competition is invoked by those who have been questioning that same integrity for years, putting pressure on referees and managers, constructing distorted narratives or using political and media pressure as a sporting tool.

“I would like to thank Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona for their commitment and generosity in being part of a project that aimed only at the growth of our competition. They didn't think of themselves, they thought of everyone.

“La Liga will continue to work, with rigor and conviction, to maintain the competitiveness of Spanish football, standing up to those who seek to destroy it, but always respecting its roots and guaranteeing its sustainability.

“Spanish football deserves to look to the future with ambition and without fear. We will keep trying. This time we came very close.”