Serie A confirmed AC Milan vs Como match in Australia will not go ahead
The Italian league claimed that AFC objections made the arrangements unworkable
AC Milan explored playing abroad due to San Siro hosting the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony
Plans to stage an Italian Serie A fixture between AC Milan and Como in Australia’s Perth in February have officially been scrapped, bringing an end to a proposal that would have marked a historic first for European domestic football.
The Italian league and local organisers confirmed the decision in a joint statement released on Monday, announcing that the overseas match will no longer go ahead.
Serie A president Ezio Simonelli cited intervention from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as the key reason behind the collapse of the proposal. According to Simonelli, the AFC issued what he described as an “escalation for further and unacceptable requests”, making it impossible to finalise arrangements for the match.
San Siro Unavailability Triggered Overseas Proposal
AC Milan had been exploring alternative venues for the fixture due to the unavailability of the San Siro, which will host the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. That situation prompted discussions around staging the match abroad, with Australia emerging as the preferred destination.
Had the plan gone ahead, the AC Milan vs Como clash would have become the first domestic league match from one of Europe’s top five leagues to be played outside the continent.
Milan and Como are geographically close, located less than an hour apart. The February 8 fixture, however, has yet to be reassigned to a new venue, leaving its status unresolved.
The abandoned Serie A plan follows another high-profile cancellation earlier this season. A proposed Spanish La Liga match between Barcelona and Villarreal, which was set to be played outside Miami, was scrapped in October after strong opposition from players and supporters in Spain.
(With AP Inputs)
