Girona, Barcelona Reportedly Set for Miami in La Liga's First Foreign Fixture

Barcelona will reportedly be the first big team to play a La Liga match outside of Spain, with their away match against Girona in January set to take place in Miami.

Last month La Liga reached a 15-year agreement with media group Relevent that will see at least one league match played in the U.S.

Sport's Carles Rosell reported the January 27 fixture is the chosen matchup, and the front cover of Tuesday's L'Esportiu (h/t Football Espana) read: "We are all off to Miami."

According to L'Esportiu, Girona fans will be reimbursed any ticket costs for the clash originally set to be played at the Estadio Montilivi.

The Spanish Football Podcast provided a shot of the L'Esportiu cover in question, with the game set to be held at the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins:

Rosell reported Girona will make 1,500 free flights available to season ticket holders and the trip will require only a €500 (£450) deposit, which will be returned after the game.

Those not wishing to travel to the U.S. will receive a 20 per cent discount on their season ticket, and 5,000 free tickets will be distributed for the first Catalan derby against Barca at the Camp Nou on September 23. There's also the option of a 40 per cent drop on season ticket cost if fans wish to attend neither match.

Sportswriter Andy West believes La Liga may have made a mistake in pitting two Catalan teams against one another:

The decision to play matches abroad is one that's encountered heavy opposition from some, namely those fans who don't want to see one of their home matches transported to a far-off destination.

The Spanish players' union (AFE) objected to the decision, while Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has recently raised some questions about the idea:

“It sounds strange to me to play a domestic league game abroad.

“But by the same token, it also sounded weird to play the Spanish Super Cup abroad and we did that. …Maybe some day the Moroccan Super Cup will be in Spain, but that will still be strange.

“That being said, football has already crossed borders as a sport, becoming something else…we will see what happens, because as for now this is just an idea."

In any case, ESPN's Dale Johnson said FIFA would still need to ratify the fixture before it could go ahead:

Journalist James Benge was supportive of the move to expand La Liga's global brand and follow the examples set by sports like basketball and American football:

The Spanish top flight will become the first of Europe's top five leagues to export its games if the plans for January's Miami matchup go ahead.

In time, it may not be the only one of Europe's major divisions to do so, although it appears Germany's Bundesliga won't be following suit, per Goal's Ronan Murphy:

La Liga's plans for a U.S. showcase continue to move swiftly, and reigning champions Barcelona are set to be among the first giants to dazzle their North American fans in a competitive encounter.