President Aleksander Ceferin calls decision “regrettable” and insists the football governing body still does not support league matches abroad
Uefa has “reluctantly” given their approval for a La Liga match between Barcelona and Villarreal to be played in Miami this December, marking the first time a European domestic league match will take place abroad.
The European football governing body said it remained “firmly opposed” to the idea of moving league games abroad but conceded that current Fifa regulations offer no clear basis to prevent it.
As a result, Uefa has also approved Serie A’s proposal to stage AC Milan’s February meeting with Como in Perth, Australia. Both fixtures now await Fifa’s final sign-off.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin called the decision “regrettable” but said it was made on an “exceptional basis”. He insisted the move should “not be seen as setting a precedent” and that Uefa’s stance was to keep league fixtures on home soil to protect supporters and the integrity of national competitions.
“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.
Fan groups and key figures across Europe have condemned the decision on a similar basis, warning that exporting regular-season matches abroad could erode the connection between clubs and local communities.
Football Supporters Europe said La Liga and Serie A risk “inflicting long-lasting harm” on the sport, while EU sport commissioner Glenn Micallef called their actions a “betrayal” of fans.
The argument from Serie A and La Liga is that games abroad will help their leagues grow, to the benefit of both clubs and supporters. The proposed match between Villarreal and Barcelona match is expected to take place at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on the weekend of 21-22 December, subject to Fifa approval.
The Premier League had a similar controversial idea for a “39th game” in the recent past, but it has since ruled it out.
