UEFA president Alexander Ceferin has admitted that the ‘regrettable’decision to allow two European league matches to be played abroad is exceptional and insists it will not be encouraged subsequently.
LaLiga clubs Villarreal and Barcelona are now set to face each other in Miami, United States of America in December in what would be the first European league fixture to be played abroad.
Then in February, AC Milan’s Italian Serie A match against Como will be played in Perth, Australia.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, has stressed it is opposed to the plans, but had to approve them because there is no legal framework to stop it.
“League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions,” said Ceferin.
“Our consultation confirmed the breadth of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national associations for their constructive and responsible engagement on such a sensitive issue.
“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent. Our commitment is clear: to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”
In an official statement today, UEFA expressed how it felt about the plan.
“UEFA has today reiterated its clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country,” the body said.
“After the meeting of its Executive Committee in Tirana last month, UEFA undertook further consultations with stakeholders to assess the extent of the implications of the issue, following the applications it received from the Spanish and Italian national football associations.
“That consultation confirmed the widespread lack of support that had already been raised by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and European institutions around the concept of domestic league matches being relocated abroad.
“However, given that the relevant FIFA regulatory framework – currently under review – is not clear and detailed enough, the UEFA Executive Committee has reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis, the two requests referred to it.
“UEFA will actively contribute to the ongoing work led by FIFA to ensure that future rules uphold the integrity of domestic competitions and the close bond between clubs, their supporters and local communities.”