By Mark Gleeson

Copyright independent

Frenkie de Jong criticised plans to play a LaLiga match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami later this year, saying he understood the commercial reasons but did not like the idea.

Villarreal’s home fixture against Barcelona will take place on December 20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, marking the first time that an official European league match will be played abroad.

“I can understand the clubs; they’ll profit from it,” De Jong said about the controversial decision when he attended the Netherlands pre-match press conference before Thursday’s World Cup qualifier in Malta.

“But I wouldn’t have decided it myself. I don’t agree with it either. It’s also unfair, competitively speaking.

“We will now be playing an away match on a neutral venue. But I don’t feel like anyone is listening to us,” De Jong added.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin called it a “regrettable” decision to allow two European league matches to be played abroad and insisted it “will not set a precedent”.

In February, AC Milan’s Italian Serie A match against Como will be played in Perth, Australia.

Adrien Rabiot, who plays for AC Milan, told Le Figaro the idea was “truly absurd”.

“All of this is beyond our control,” the French international said. “There’s a lot of talk about schedules and player health, but this all seems truly absurd. It’s crazy to travel so many miles for a match between two Italian teams in Australia. We have to adapt, as always.”

Serie A chief executive Luigi de Siervo was asked about Rabiot’s comments at a league assembly meeting in Rome.

He said: “He’s right, but Rabiot forgets, like all footballers who earn millions of euros, that they are paid to carry out an activity, to play football.

“He should have respect for the money he earns, complying with the wishes of his employer, Milan, who accepted and pushed for this match to be played abroad.”