An Italian league match between AC Milan and Como, scheduled to take place in Australia, has been canceled due to sanctions from the Asian Football Confederation, according to Serie A.
The match, which had been “reluctantly” approved by Uefa in October alongside a La Liga match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami, was ultimately scrapped.
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Set for February in Perth, Western Australia, this match was to be the first European league game held outside its home country.
Serie A President Ezio Simonelli stated that financial risks and last-minute issues made it “impossible” to proceed with the match. “Due to an escalation of unacceptable requests received recently from the AFC to the Australian Federation, the Government of Western Australia, and the Serie A Football League, we can no longer hold the Milan-Como match in Perth on February 8,” Simonelli explained.
Initially, there were challenges posed by the AFC’s requirements, including the use of Asian match officials, but Simonelli previously indicated the game would still be played.
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Como had argued for playing games internationally, emphasizing that “sacrifice is essential” for the “survival” of Serie A in light of the Premier League’s financial dominance.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) criticized the initiative, asserting that “one domestic match abroad is one too many.”
In August, Premier League CEO Richard Masters stated that there are no plans to host any English top-flight matches overseas.