UEFA grants Milan conditional approval for Australia fixture
The group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has called on Serie A to abandon its plans to hold the Milan–Como match in Perth, Australia, scheduled for early next year, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.
The request follows La Liga’s decision to cancel a similar match between Villarreal and Barcelona in the United States after protests from players and fans.
“This is a victory for European football. Now it’s time for Serie A to do the same,” FSE said in a statement.
According to the group, “games have no place 15,000 kilometers away from their home,” and continuing with this project would damage the image of Italian football.
AC Milan has reluctantly received UEFA’s permission to play the match at Perth’s Optus Stadium since the San Siro will be unavailable due to preparations for the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Games. However, the match still requires approval from the Australian Federation, the AFC, and FIFA.
Serie A’s CEO, Luigi De Siervo, defended the idea, comparing it to the NFL and NBA models of playing abroad.
“Football must follow the path of globalization if it doesn’t want to be left behind,” he said.
Meanwhile, Western Australia’s Sports Minister, Rita Saffioti, remains confident the match will go ahead as planned, noting that final approval is expected within the next few days.
