ITALIAN Serie A chiefs are set to junk Milan’s planned game with Como in Australia.
Serie A vowed to press ahead with the fixture in Perth on February 8 despite LaLiga bosses deciding in October to scrap their idea of playing Villarreal versus Barcelona in Miami.
The LaLiga call was a direct result of protests by top stars who publicly criticised the idea and then stood still for the first 15 seconds of a match to make their point.
Despite that – and Uefa indicating it wanted Fifa to step in and ban leagues from playing their domestic matches in another country – the Milan-Como clash remained scheduled for the other side of the world.
Serie A bosses argued that Milan were unable to host the fixture because of the Winter Olympics, where the San Siro is the main stadium and will host the Opening Ceremony on February 6.
But now the plan is on the verge of collapse – after a series of demands by the Asian Football Confederation before it would give formal approval, as required by Fifa regulations.
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Australia joined the AFC from Oceania in 2006, as the change provided both a more competitive international structure and a potential direct route into the World Cup.
But the conditions demanded for the match to be played included match officials and other organising staff to be AFC employees. Serie A rules require Italian match officials.
Serie A bosses were also told they could not promote or market the match as a game in its competition.
The demands brought an instant backlash, both in Italy and Australia, where the Optus Stadium scene of England’s two-day Ashes first Test humiliation was gearing up to host the game.
Under regulations, postponed matches in Serie A must be played on the first available date.
Como, managed by former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, are due to host Milan on January 14 but there is no capacity for the planned games to be switched so the first meeting is at the San Siro instead.
While no formal announcement has yet been made, it is now expected that it will be rescheduled at the San Siro on February 17 or the following day.
A number of European clubs have been attempting to stage games abroad over the years but have hit a number of roadblocks.
LaLiga initially announced plans to stage Barcelona vs Villarreal in Miami on December 20.
It would have become the first ever European league fixture to take place overseas, but LaLiga shelved the idea after coming under fire from players.
A statement read: “Following discussions with the promoter of the official LaLiga match in Miami, the latter has announced its decision to cancel the event due to the uncertainty surrounding Spain in recent weeks.
“LaLiga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalisation of Spanish football, cannot go ahead.”
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois – one of the leading figures opposing the plans – said: “LaLiga does whatever it wants because it suits them. This decision distorts the competition.
“Playing at home is not the same as playing away. In LaLiga, playing away is very difficult, as we saw against Real Sociedad and Getafe. Villarreal away is tough. It’s not fair to change the rules mid-season without consulting us.”
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