Barcelona president: ‘Play three La Liga games abroad’

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu believes La Liga should stage three games per season away from Spain.

The Blaugrana were the side proposed to be involved in the first Spanish top flight match away from Spain, but their game at Girona – which the league wanted to be played in Miami – eventually was not changed.

A ‘lack of consensus’ mean the league’s plans have been knocked back, with FIFA, UEFA, the Spanish FA and the AFE Players Union among those voicing their opposition.

“If we want La Liga to be strong, we are to play in these games,” Bartomeu told BBC Sport.

“At Barca we have sometimes been talking to La Liga and have been telling them that if you want to promote La Liga more and more, then we should have three games of the year outside – one in America, one in the Middle East and one in Asia.

“We have to go and be closer to the fans. We do the summer tours in July and August to go closer to the fans.

“It's us showing respect to them, going to Miami would have been respect to our fans in the USA.”

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