In a significant blow to the globalisation of European football, a landmark Serie A fixture scheduled to be played in Australia has been abruptly cancelled. The proposed match between AC Milan and Como, set for Perth on 8 February, has been called off following what league officials have labelled "unacceptable requests" from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Last-Minute Demands Derail Historic Fixture
The game was poised to make history as the first major European domestic league match to be staged outside its home continent. However, the ambitious project unravelled in the final stages. Serie A president, Ezio Simonelli, confirmed the cancellation on Monday, citing an "escalation of further and unacceptable requests" from the AFC that were passed to the Australian federation and the Western Australian government.
These last-minute complications, coupled with the associated financial risks, rendered the event unviable. The AFC's conditions reportedly included insisting on its right to appoint the match officials, a point of contention that Serie A believed had been resolved as far back as 18 December before new demands emerged.
The Road to Perth and the Stumbling Blocks
The fixture's move to Perth was initially born out of necessity. The San Siro stadium in Milan is unavailable as it will host the opening ceremony for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. The Italian Football Federation approved the relocation, and UEFA gave its reluctant clearance in October.
Beyond the practical solution, Serie A saw a golden opportunity to promote its brand internationally, drawing inspiration from other sports like the NFL and NBA which regularly host games overseas. The league's vision, however, clashed with the regulatory authority of the AFC, under whose jurisdiction the match in Australia would fall.
A Growing Trend of Aborted Overseas Games
This cancellation marks the second high-profile failure of a European league's attempt to export a regular-season match in recent months. It follows La Liga's decision to abandon plans to play a Barcelona versus Villarreal fixture in Miami, which faced fierce criticism and opposition within Spain.
The twin setbacks highlight the complex political, regulatory, and logistical hurdles facing football's governing bodies as they seek to emulate the successful international expansion models of other major sports. For now, the dream of seeing a competitive Serie A match played on Australian soil has been postponed indefinitely, a victim of football's intricate governance and last-minute diplomatic breakdowns.
