Games abroad – La League and Series A urge, UEFA discussed

The Spanish league and series A also urge to be able to play games abroad. UEFA is still in discussions and European politics will soon become active.

Last week there was a lot going on in Brussels. A board meeting of the European Ligenverband, which the DFL also belongs to with the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga and the DFB with the 3rd division, it was about the wishes of the Spanish league and series A to move their games abroad.

EU sports commissioner Glenn Micaleff was also invited. The social democratic politician from Malta had clearly opposed the plans in the run -up to the meeting. He called a “betrayal” of regular league games abroad. Both controlled people of the Spanish and the Italian league and asked why a game was such a big problem. There was now a somewhat more conciliatory tone in Brussels, but the points of view remained clear: Both La Liga and Serie A have so far not been ready to move away from their plans.

La Liga wants to go to the USA, Serie A to Australia

The Spanish league game between FC Villarreal and FC Barcelona is to be played in Miami in the USA on December 20, 2025. Series A plans to move the game between AC Milan and Como to Perth in Australia on February 6, 2026. The grant to an international audience has long been considered a key to new income in the football business.

However, the fan alliance “Football Supporters Europe” (FSE) wrote that with such a decision, in his view, the “Box of Pandora” could open and more and more relocates from games abroad could be possible. In the meantime, more than 500 fan groups from more than 25 countries signed a statement by the fan alliance against such game laying. “A single home game abroad is one too much”so fse.

Ceferin writes associations: “Please let me know beforehand”

According to their statutes, their approval or rejection to the plans from Spain and Italy must also give UEFA in addition to the national associations. At a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Albania’s capital Tirana, no decision of the leagues from Italy and Spain was made. Instead, the UEFA wanted “First hear the opinions of all interest groups before a final decision” And also expressly called the fans.

But a compromise is not in sight what the UEFA brings into the situation of having to make the decision for or against business. An uncomfortable situation that she wants to avoid in the future. Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin sent a letter to the 55 national associations. The document that the sports show has, it says that the topic is “complex”.

“It has already triggered intensive debates and violent reactions from stakeholders and legislators across Europe”it says. After the associations from Italy and Spain had already agreed to the games, Ceferin writes: “In view of the explosiveness of the matter, I would like to ask you to first consult the UEFA with similar inquiries to your association before you approve it and submit it for formal examination.” At least at the national level, the UEFA could intervene.

European Parliament coincides with resolution

The topic has achieved a great political dimension. On October 6, the European Parliament will vote on a resolution at its meeting in Strasbourg, which deals with the role of EU policy in the design of the so-called European sports model. The EU attributes several key features to the European Sports Model. These include, for example, pyramidal structure and the openness of the competitions, which became decisive in the course of the Super League debate 2021. However, the importance of sport “for national identity” is also mentioned.

The resolution will vote in parliament on October 6th. It expressly asked the associations to “prevent domestic competitions from taking place abroad”. A resolution is not a regulation and not a law – to face the will of the European Parliament, it would be a difficult punctuation for UEFA.

Because the European institutions were firmly alongside the UEFA when it came to preventing the Super League. Again and again the UEFA referred to the European sports model when securing its position against the Super League, which, according to the will of the EU Parliament, could soon be expressly included: national competitions should be played in their countries and nowhere else.

Legal questions are at FIFA level

The basic procedure has so far: The national associations from Spain and Italy have already approved the project, in addition to the approval of the UEFA, both leagues need the commitments of the continental associations from North America for the game in the USA and from Asia for the game in Australia. In the end, the FIFA must be informed.

FIFA has a superordinate regulations for the start of such games. The marketing agency relevant wanted to bring a game of the Spanish league to Miami in 2019, but this was blocked by the associations. Relevant complained against FIFA. But the dispute was enclosed because the FIFA promised an examination of the rules and used a working group. This should also be involved in “private companies involved in the organization of international games or competitions”. So organizations like relevant. The results of the working group have not yet been published by FIFA.

According to FIFA, the working group is to develop “criteria for the approval of such games or competitions” in its recommendations. “All proposals must be based on the principles of transparency, objectivity, ban on discrimination and proportionality,” said FIFA, which is a reference to the ECJ judgment to the Super League. This judgment set borders to the associations in regulating clubs and leagues.

Relevant and its special role in world football

The marketing agency relevant from the USA is considered a top dog when marketing sports in the United States, it has already marketed many friendly games of European teams in the United States. Not only Spain’s league counts at releases. The DFL also has the Bundesliga marketed by relevant in the USA, the same applies to the Premier League.

The UEFA Champions League in the USA is already marketing relevant. From 2027, relevant is relevant to sell the Champions League’s TV and sponsorship rights worldwide. The impression of a conflict of interest can arise: the marketing agency ensures the largest source of income from the UEFA, which is now to decide on the approval of an important business of relevant. Relevant belongs to the US billionaire Stephen Ross, who also has the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where the game is to take place from Spain.

Uefa President Ceferer also did not rule out a Champions League final in the United States in 2023. For UEFA, it would be another conflict of interest if you prevent games from leagues abroad, but even leave Europe – which could initially start with competitions such as the Supercup or the final tournament of the Nations League.

Watzke excluded German competitive games abroad

DFL Presidium spokesman Hans-Joachim Watzke, who is also Vice President at the DFB and the UEFA, recently excluded the DFL abroad under his responsibility. Upon request, the DFL confirmed that this attitude also applies to the Supercup, although the game regulations of the DFL generally and expressly allow the Supercup to be relocated abroad.