In February, Milan will play their Serie A match against Como in Perth, Australia, while La Liga clubs Villarreal and FC Barcelona will face each other in Miami in December.
UEFA reluctantly gives the green light for league matches between FC Barcelona and AC Milan in the US and Australia
Rabiot told the French newspaper Le Figaro that the plans are ‘completely insane’ and ‘really absurd’.
“There is a lot of talk about fixtures and the health of the players, but this all seems really absurd. It is crazy to travel so many kilometers for a match between two Italian teams in Australia. We have to adapt, as always,” said the 30-year-old.
What does the Serie A management say about Rabiot’s words?
Asked about Rabiot’s comments at a Serie A meeting in Rome, De Siervo said: “He is right, but Rabiot, like all footballers who earn millions of euros, forgets that they are paid to perform an activity, namely to play football.”
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And: “He should respect the money he earns and comply with the wishes of his employer Milan who agreed and insisted that this match be played abroad.”
UEFA reluctantly gives the green light
UEFA on Monday – reluctantly – gave the green light to play two national competition matches abroad. This concerns the match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal from the Spanish La Liga, which will be played in Miami, America, and the match between AC Milan and Como from the Italian Serie A, which will be played in Australia.
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The European Football Association reiterated in a statement on its website that it is against playing national competition matches outside the home country. However, global regulations are not clear and detailed enough to reject the requests, the association said.
Regrettable decision
“While it is regrettable that we have to allow these two matches to go ahead, this decision is exceptional and should not be regarded as a precedent,” UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
“League matches must be played on home soil; anything else would disadvantage loyal fans and potentially introduce disruptive elements into the competition. Our commitment is clear: to protect the integrity of national competitions and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment,” Ceferin concluded.