Bartomeu believes three LaLiga games should be played outside of Spain each season
The Barcelona chief says games should take place in America, Asia and the Middle East
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Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has told the BBC that three LaLiga games should be played outside of Spain each season.
"At Barca we have sometimes been talking to La Liga and have been telling them that if you want to promote La Liga more and more, then we should have three games of the year outside -- one in America, one in the Middle East and one in Asia," Bartomeu said.
In addition, according to the Barça chief, the game that was not played in Miami (USA) in the end, between Barcelona and Girona, didn't happen because of a "lack of consensus" between all the implicated parties.
"We have to go and be closer to the fans. We do the summer tours in July and August to go closer to the fans. It's us showing respect to them, going to Miami would have been respect to our fans in the USA," he added.
The game between Barcelona and Girona, which was played in Catalonia in the end last month, formed part of a 15-year agreement between LaLiga and Relevant Sports to play one Spanish league game in the U.S per season.
"If we want La Liga to be strong, we are to play in these games," Bartomeu said.
La Liga communications chief Joris Evers said that taking a game abroad is a "logical step" in the growth of the championship and it offers "clear benefits" for everyone involved.
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