The main factor that led to this decision was mainly economic, but is money more important than the loss of lives? Nobody wanted to play these matches, yet Tebas said in his most recent Twitter post, “the best message to the affected people is to stay on the front line in our jobs, giving visibility to the problem.” The post came alongside a series of pictures and videos from the flooding, and minutes after received an array of critiques in the comments and beyond.
La Liga's decision to only postpone games involving Villareal and CF Valencia, clubs directly affected by the flooding, came as a surprise to say the least. Since Friday, several players and managers have publicly expressed their discomfort with this decision through social media and press conferences. Koke, Atlético de Madrid captain, says, “I would like to be helping the victims rather than thinking about playing a match.”
Throughout the whole weekend, there have been minutes of silence before every match, but it still wasn’t enough. Valencia’s ex-academy player and Mallorca left-back, Toni Lato, were among the first footballers to raise this issue at a press conference after the match. He said: “This match has been difficult on a mental level. I lost one of my colleagues to the flooding a couple of days ago.”
Luís García Plaza, Alavés’ manager, also stated his annoyance about this decision: “No one is aware of what’s happening. It doesn’t make sense that we’re playing this match against Mallorca.” He seemed really affected by the situation, as he was born and raised in Valencia, and his family was affected by the catastrophe.
"No one is aware of what's happening. It doesn't make sense that we're playing this match"
Luís García Plaza
Fans were not happy about this decision. They thought it showed a “lack of respect for all victims.” Many clubs have defended their fans by posting announcements on social media regarding money donations to charities that help those in need of food and clothes donations destined for the affected zones.
Valencia FC, one of the most affected clubs, was supposed to play its anticipated match against Real Madrid on November 2nd. The game was postponed for obvious reasons, and several Valencia players, such as Hugo Duro and David Gayà, have been seen helping the victims clean the streets from all the mud and residues the storms left behind. Even recently injured player Thierry Rendall was seen helping in the food bank organised by the club in Mestalla.
Atlético de Madrid has also caught the eye of the media due to their social media campaign to get people to donate. They have sent a group of volunteers to help distribute food and medicines, and one of their players, Rodrigo Riquelme, has travelled from Madrid to help the affected zones.
Not only have Spanish media largely criticised how La Liga has treated this situation, but foreign media have also disagreed with this decision. The RFEF and La Liga executive committee have shown that they care more about their profits than the loss of human lives. Bravo.
