AS in Miami, Raúl and Tebas

We recently launched the new AS USA site in Miami, furthering our expansion strategy inSpanish-speaking markets in the Americas. We launched in Chile, then in Colombia andMexico. Thanks to the strength of our league (high-ranking representatives of which accompanied us to Miami), the vast global interest in all things Madrid, Barça and increasinglyAtleti too, the myriad of Latino sports stars in Europe and the obvious profile of sport in these countries, this strategy is a no-brainer.

The launch event was a large affair at the home of Spain’s General Consul in Miami Cándido Creis with around 300 guests including the city’s Mayor, Tomás Pedro Regalado. It coincided with Javier Tebas’ thousandth day as La Liga President – a thousand days during which so much has changed that it seems far-fetched – and was also to a certain degree Raúl’s debut as the league’s ambassador in the States. His presence demonstrated how ‘soccer’ has taken off here. The queue to be photographed with him was relentless. Surrounded by admirers and attention, he could have been in Spain.

Football is the Esperanto of today. As the General Consul said, when you hand over a Spanish passport at border control of almost any country you’re almost always asked the same question: “Real Madrid or Barcelona?” Here, like in so many other places, you hear the same debates as you do at home: Bravo or Ter Stegen? James or Isco? Alves or Aleix? Varane or Pepe?Cristiano or Messi? They don’t say ‘soccer’ anymore, they say ‘football,’ and they cry out for La Liga or even Super Cup matches. The Consul also pointed out that our sport is ‘Brand Spain.’ That, and our new ‘common language,’ is why we came.