Players from Oviedo and Espanyol began a symbolic protest at the start of their match, holding the ball for 10 seconds in rejection of the Miami clash between Villarreal and Barcelona. LaLiga hid the action in the broadcast. This initiative, backed by AFE, seeks greater transparency about the December 21 game.
On Friday, October 17, 2025, at 21:02, referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer started the Oviedo-Espanyol match at Carlos Tartiere stadium, corresponding to matchday nine of LaLiga EA Sports 2025-2026. Immediately, Espanyol players held the ball for 10 seconds while Oviedo players stayed still, in a symbolic protest against the Miami match pitting Villarreal against Barcelona on December 21, matchday 17.
LaLiga chose to hide this powerful image in the broadcast, switching to exterior shots of the stadium. The action, driven by the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) with support from First Division players, addresses LaLiga's "lack of transparency, dialogue, and coherence" regarding the game organized by Relevent and authorized by UEFA as exceptional. AFE excluded Barça and Villarreal players to avoid misinterpretations, but Girona and Betis players, their respective rivals, might join.
Since August 12, two months ago, AFE has demanded information on rest times, concentrations, compensations, health and travel insurances. After no response to a meeting call last Tuesday—Barcelona considered attending but declined as LaLiga wouldn't go, proposing alternative dates on October 22, 23, or 24—they opted for this protest. They demand delaying ticket sales and creating a negotiation table to share data and protect labor rights.
LaLiga sources said they sent three letters to AFE, including a six-page one from president Javier Tebas detailing logistics and recalling contributions over 100 million euros in ten years. They invite the union to the Paritary Commission on October 24. The organization announced a symbolic peace act for matchday nine, independent of the protest. This Saturday, four more matches could see similar actions, such as Barça-Girona and Villarreal-Betis.