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LaLiga seeks permission for Miami match

Hard Rock Stadium has moved a step closer to hosting a LaLiga match between Girona and Barcelona after the two clubs and the league requested permission to stage a fixture at the Miami venue in January.

The match would be played on January 26 and kick off at 20:45 CET. Barcelona, Girona and LaLiga have requested permission from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to play the game at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

The request has been signed by Josep Maria Bartomeu, Delfí Geli and Javier Tebas, the presidents of Barcelona, Girona and LaLiga, respectively. The league said today (Tuesday) that the submission has been made after “successfully completing the first key steps with several stakeholders”.

The match would act as a Girona home game. One element of the request submitted by the three parties is the compensation offered to Girona season-ticket holders, who have this fixture included in their season ticket. The move has been welcomed by Aficiones Unidas (AFEPE), an association of fan clubs.

Details of the proposed match in Miami first emerged last week and it comes after LaLiga last month struck a deal with Relevent Sports to stage regular-season matches in the US. The league signed a 15-year deal with Relevent, which has led to the formation of the new LaLiga North America organisation.

LaLiga North America is designed to promote football in the US and Canada and news of the proposed match between Girona and Barcelona marks the first major development since the pact was signed.

Image: TheSoccerBoy