UEFA have reluctantly given La Liga and Serie A approval to begin playing league games abroad, with the governing body reiterating its “clear opposition” to the idea.
President Aleksander Čeferin is hopeful that the landmark decision will not set a precedent for Europe’s major leagues keen to stage domestic games overseas, candidly stating that “league matches should be played on home soil.”
Despite their opposition, UEFA rationalized the decision that the games in question would be played “on an exceptional basis amid regulatory gaps at global level.”
Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga have been the big pushers, with the former hoping to stage AC Milan’s clash with Como in Perth next February and the latter wanting Villarreal vs. Barcelona to be played in Miami toward the end of 2025.
Never before has a domestic European fixture been played outside of the continent, meaning the aforementioned game between the Villarreal and Barça could be a historic occasion.
