UEFA have reluctantly given the green light to La Liga’s request to stage Barcelona’s match with Villarreal in the United States. The contentious fixture, scheduled for December, is set to take place in Miami, while the Serie A showdown between AC Milan and Como has been permitted to occur in Perth, Australia in February.
UEFA expressed their disapproval of domestic league matches being played abroad in a statement. However, they admitted that the current framework, which is under review, left them little room to reject the Spanish and Italian governing bodies’ request.
This could mean that Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford shall be heading to the USA if the fixture is confirmed as taking place overseas. Responding to the approval, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stated: “League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions.
“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.”
While pre-season tours to the United States and Asia have become commonplace in modern day football, domestic fixtures outside of their respective nations have not been agreed until now. Despite La Liga and Serie A’s arranged international fixtures, Premier League chief Richard Masters admitted in August that it was not something currently on the agenda in England.
“I don’t think it changes the Premier League’s view on this at all, we don’t have any plans to play matches abroad,” Masters said. “It’s not anywhere near my in-tray and it’s not a debate around our table.”
Other sports have embraced playing domestic fixtures outside of their host nations. The NFL have played matches regularly overseas since 2007.
