AC Milan are set to play a Serie A game outside of Italy
AC Milan are set to play a Serie A game outside of Italy
Reuters
Today at 21:08
Uefa have reluctantly approved a Serie A and a LaLiga match to be played abroad, the European governing body confirmed on Monday.
The LaLiga fixture between Barcelona and Villarreal will be staged in Miami in late December, while AC Milan’s Serie A encounter with Como will be held in Perth, Australia, in early February.
Milan opted for a foreign location as their San Siro stadium will be unavailable as both the city and the stadium prepare to host the Winter Olympics opening ceremony on February 6.
Spain’s LaLiga has been pursuing their transatlantic vision for almost a decade, emulating the strategy employed by the NFL and NBA to establish themselves in other markets.
Uefa said its Executive Committee had reluctantly approved the move as an exception, stressing that Fifa’s regulatory framework, still under review, lacks sufficient clarity and detail, and reiterating that it remains opposed in principle to such matches.
“League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions,” Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent.
“Our commitment is clear: to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”