PLANS for a Serie A match between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, have been called off, according to the league and the government of Western Australia. The decision came due to football sanctions and conditions from the Asian Football Confederation.
Marco BERTORELLO / AFP
The match was intended to be the first major European domestic league game to take place outside its home country.
However, it will not proceed because of financial concerns and last-minute issues.
Serie A president Ezio Simonelli stated in a statement that it became impossible to hold the Milan-Como match in Perth on February 8, following "an escalation of further and unacceptable requests" from the AFC to the Australian Football Federation, the Western Australia government, and the Serie A league.
The Italian Football Association had approved the move of the February fixture because the San Siro stadium, which usually hosts the game, was unavailable due to the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.
UEFA also gave permission for the match in October.
Besides the practical reasons, Serie A had hoped the game in Australia would help promote its brand globally, similar to how other sports like cycling, the NFL, and the NBA have done.
The plans faced a major obstacle when the AFC first imposed conditions, such as requiring them to appoint match officials.
Although Serie A claimed the situation was resolved on December 18, the match was ultimately canceled.
This cancellation follows LaLiga’s decision two months earlier to cancel a planned league match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, after facing criticism and resistance within Spain.