The European Football Union (UEFA) has “reluctantly” promised to host two league games abroad. The UEFA announced this in a statement on Monday.
Previously, the Spanish (RFEF) and Italian association (FIGC) had submitted applications to move the respective league encounters between FC Villarreal and FC Barcelona to Miami in December and between AC Milan and Como in 1907 due to the Winter Olympics on February 6th.
After the meeting of the Executive Committee in September in the Albanian Tirana, in which a decision was still posted, the UEFA carried out “further consultations with interest groups”. These confirmed “the widespread rejection of the concept that were already expressed by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and European institutions”. However, since “the relevant regulation framework of the FIFA, which is currently being revised, was not clear and detailed enough”, the UEFA Executive Committee “reluctantly decided to appreciate the two applications submitted to it”.
It is “unfortunate that these two games have to take place, but this decision is an exception and must not be seen as a precedent,” said Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin: “Our commitment is clear: We want to protect the integrity of the national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”
League games should be “held on home soil; everything else would be disadvantageous and could lead to distortions in the competitions,” said Ceferin: “Our consultation has confirmed how great these concerns are. I would like to thank the 55 national associations for their constructive and responsible commitment in this sensitive matter.”