Milan-Como in Australia: Uefa says yes. Furious fans
Uefa says yes to the requests of the Serie A League and La Liga: Milan-Como and Villarreal-Barcelona will be played abroad. The match between the Rossoneri and the Larians in particular will be played in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 7 or Feb. 8, 2026, when San Siro will not be accessible due to the Winter Olympics. However, the European federation has made it clear that these will only be exceptions.
“Uefa today reiterated its clear opposition to the holding of domestic league matches abroad’the statement said.
’ Following the meeting of its Executive Committee in Tirana last month, Uefa has initiated further consultations with interested parties to assess the scope of the implications of the issue, following requests received from the Spanish and Italian football federations”.
“This consultation confirmed the widespread lack of support, already raised by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and European institutions, regarding the concept of transferring domestic league matches abroad. However, given that the relevant Fifa regulatory framework, currently under review, is not sufficiently clear and detailed, the Uefa Executive Committee has reluctantly taken the decision to exceptionally approve the two requests submitted to it”.
“Uefa will actively contribute to the ongoing work conducted by Fifa to ensure that future rules maintain the’integrity of national competitions and the close ties between clubs, their fans and local communities”.
These are the words of President Ceferin: “League matches should be played at home; any other solution would deprive the most loyal fans and potentially introduce distorting elements into the competitions. Our consultation confirmed the ’extent of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national federations for their constructive and responsible engagement on such a sensitive issue. Although it is regrettable to have to forgo these two matches, this decision is exceptional and should not be seen as a precedent. Our commitment is clear: to protect the’integrity of national championships and to ensure that soccer remains anchored in its home environment”.
The news immediately sparked fans on social media, who were largely polemical and extremely harsh against the Serie A League for yet another decision that they say penalizes fans.
