Players will have final say on Girona v Barcelona in USA, says AFE

Plans to hold Girona verus Barcelona in the United States must be approved by the players, Spain's footballers union has said.

Published : Sep 10, 2018 22:28 IST

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi
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Barcelona forward Lionel Messi

Players will be given the final say on plans to hold Girona's LaLiga match with Barcelona in the United States, according to the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE).

Last week, Girona confirmed it has accepted a proposal from Spanish top-flight organisers to stage a local derby against the champions in North America this season.

It would be the first such game to be held outside Spain since a groundbreaking 15-year deal was reached between LaLiga and multinational media, sports and entertainment company Relevent.

An AFE delegation, led by president David Aganzo, met with LaLiga officials on Monday to discuss the proposed match and express its "unease" at the plans to relocate it to the US.

"The players, through AFE, will be those who make a final decision on the match to be played in the United States," it confirmed in a statement following the meeting.

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The players' union has been staunchly opposed to the plans since they were announced, having been aggrieved at not being consulted earlier by LaLiga.

Last month, Aganzo refused to rule out a strike after a meeting between the captains of all 20 top-flight clubs expressed unanimous "outrage" at the proposal.

Girona has said it is working with LaLiga and Barca to make the game go ahead in the US, with fans expected to have travel and accommodation costs subsidised.

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