In a move that has stirred controversy in the world of football, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has announced the "regrettable" decision to allow two European league matches to be played abroad. This decision is being described as "exceptional", and Ceferin insists it will not set a precedent for future games.
UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, said:
"League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions. Our consultation confirmed the breadth of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national associations for their constructive and responsible engagement on such a sensitive issue.
"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."
La Liga clubs Villarreal and Barcelona are now scheduled to face each other in Miami this December, marking the first time a European league fixture will be played outside Europe. Following this, AC Milan's Italian Serie A match against Como is slated for February in Perth, Australia. Despite its clear opposition to these plans, Uefa - the governing body of European football - has reluctantly approved them due to an absence of any legal framework that could prevent such occurrences.
Concerns from Football Supporters Europe (FSE)
Football Supporters Europe (FSE), a fans' group, warns that playing these two games abroad could inflict long-lasting harm on the sport. They have called for stricter rules to prevent similar situations from happening again in the future.
Football Supporters Europe released statement:
"FSE will continue to stand firmly with fans in Spain and Italy in resisting these damaging proposals. Together with our members in these countries, we are looking into every possible option to counter these plans.
"By forcing through these matches, La Liga and Serie A risk undermining their own history and long-term success while inflicting long-lasting harm to football in Europe - and beyond. Now is the time for a solid regulatory framework that protects domestic competition."
Uefa echoes these concerns after consulting stakeholders and finding widespread lack of support for league matches being played abroad. This sentiment reflects worries raised by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and even European institutions. However, according to Uefa officials, Fifa's regulatory framework is not clear or detailed enough at present to block such plans effectively.
In response to growing concerns about competitive domestic matches being held overseas last year , Fifa established a working group dedicated specifically towards examining their impact on football as we know it today.
Previous attempts at overseas games
This isn't La Liga's first attempt at staging games overseas; they previously planned on holding Barcelona v Atletico Madrid in Miami but had dropped the idea due to time constraints. In 2019, Barcelona also planned to stage a league match against Girona in Miami, but this was scrapped after opposition from Spain's football association and its players' union. It's worth noting that one-off matches like the Italian Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup have been held abroad in recent years.
In contrast to these developments, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters stated in August that there are no plans for an English top-flight match to be played abroad. The concept of the Premier League playing an extra round outside England - known as the '39th game' - was proposed back in 2008 but was shelved following criticism from fans and media.
While UEFA has reluctantly approved these overseas games, it is clear that there is significant opposition from various stakeholders within football. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact future discussions about international fixtures.
