UEFA reluctantly granted permission to La Liga’s request to hold a Barcelona-Villarreal match in the US. The controversial match scheduled for December will be held in Miami, but the Serie A AC Milan vs Como showdown will be allowed to take place in Perth, Australia in February.
In a statement, UEFA expressed dissent over domestic league matches being played overseas. However, they acknowledged that the current framework under review left little room to reject the requests of Spanish and Italian governing bodies.
This could mean Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford heads for the US if the match is confirmed to be played overseas. Following this approval, UEFA President Alexander Ceferin said, “League games should be held at home, and anything else could be disenfranchised by the rights of loyal match fans and bring distorted elements to the tournament.”
“Our consultations confirmed the widespread concerns and we would like to thank the 55 national associations for making constructive and responsible efforts to address these sensitive issues.”
“It’s a shame that we have to hold these two games, but this decision is unusual and should not be considered a precedent. Our commitment is clear: we are committed to protecting the health of national leagues and ensuring that football continues to stay entrenched in its home environment.”
In modern soccer, preseason tours to the United States and Asia have become commonplace, but there has been no agreement on domestic matches other than those in various countries. Despite the coordination of the international La Liga and Serie A matches, Premier League director Richard Masters admitted in August that it wasn’t the current agenda in England.
“I don’t think Premier League views will change at all. We have no plans to play overseas,” Masters said. “It’s not near my tray, and it’s not an argument around our table.”
Other sports are open to playing domestic matches outside the host country. The NFL has been playing games overseas regularly since 2007.
