Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois has ripped into La Liga bosses, accusing them of “selling the soul of Spanish football” after the league announced plans to stage Barcelona’s upcoming fixture against Villarreal, not in Spain, but in Miami, USA.
Yes, you read that right. While fans in Villarreal gear up for what should be a fiery December clash at the Estadio de la Cerámica, La Liga seems more interested in sunscreen, hot dogs, and photo ops in Florida.
Courtois isn’t buying it.
“This totally adulterates the competition,” he said bluntly. “This isn’t the NBA. We don’t play 82 games. This isn’t a marketing tour, this is supposed to be a professional league.”
The Real Madrid keeper, never shy to speak his mind, blasted the league’s decision as a blatant move to cash in at the expense of competitive integrity, handing Barcelona a free pass by avoiding Villarreal’s notoriously hostile home turf.
“Everyone should play home and away, unless there’s a natural disaster. Not because someone wants palm trees in the background of a La Liga game,” he added, clearly unimpressed.
The blowback isn’t limited to Madrid’s No. 1. Players across Spain staged symbolic 15-second protests before kickoffs over the weekend — moments which mysteriously never made it into the TV broadcast. Courtois called that out too:
“That’s censorship. Plain and simple. If you hide our protest, you’re admitting we’re right,” he fumed.
Real Madrid as a club is reportedly exploring legal channels to block the move, with head coach Xabi Alonso publicly backing Courtois and calling the Miami match a “wrong turn for the league.”
“The club is defending its interests,” Alonso said with his usual restraint. “But my personal view is aligned with what Thibaut said.”
Meanwhile, in a poetic twist, Courtois is set to mark his 300th appearance for Real Madrid in their Champions League clash against Juventus, a milestone that reflects loyalty, tradition, and everything La Liga seems to be abandoning.
“Playing 300 games for this club is a dream come true,” Courtois said. “But I want those games to mean something, not be part of a travelling circus.”