After La Liga’s withdrawal, is the planned Serie A match abroad also in danger of being canceled? At the very least, there are apparently difficulties.
On February 8, Serie A plans to hold the league match between AC Milan and Como 1907 in Perth, Australia. However, organizational problems have apparently arisen that could thwart these plans. “A number of conditions were imposed very late in the day for the game to be approved, which we believe are extremely difficult to meet,” Rita Saffioti, Minister for Sport and Recreation in Western Australia, told The Athletic.
Has FIFA even been called in?
The background to this is that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) must approve the Australian association’s application for the match to take place in Perth as planned. According to the report, the AFC will only give the green light under certain conditions. Among other things, it must be “ensured that the match is not organized, promoted, or marketed by Serie A.” In addition, the AFC wants to appoint the referees itself. Even FIFA is said to have been involved in the case. In the fall, UEFA grudgingly granted Serie A and La Liga special permission to play a league match abroad, something that has never happened before in Europe.
La Liga had originally moved the match between Villarreal and FC Barcelona to Miami on December 20, but backtracked after massive protests from clubs and fans. Serie A, on the other hand, had always stuck to its plans, but now apparently has to fear for the project itself.
“If we want an international league, we must have the courage to make unpopular decisions that do not assume that we will listen to the instincts of fans or players who have short- or medium-term interests,” league chairman Luigi De Siervo emphasized at the end of October.
At present, a match between Milan and Como would be a real top game. The Rossoneri lead the table after 14 matchdays, ahead of defending champions SSC Napoli, who are level on points, while Como are sixth.