October 14 – Como’s proposal to stage their February fixture against AC Milan in Perth, Australia, has been framed by the clubs and Serie A not as a money grab, but as a matter of “survival.”
If the world governing body, FIFA, signs off, it would mark the first competitive Serie A fixture played outside Italy. After UEFA “reluctantly” agreed earlier this month to allow clubs the opportunity to move matches for different circumstances, both Serie A and La Liga have jumped at the opportunity.
Como insists this isn’t about only money, saying, “We understand that this journey may demand sacrifices in convenience, comfort, and routine,” the club said. “Yet sometimes sacrifice is essential, not for individual benefit but for the greater good, for growth, and above all, for the survival of the league itself.”
The growing chasm between Serie A and the Premier League, means that any new streams of revenue must be explored to their fullest potential. When overseas rights are included, England’s top flight will earn £12.25 billion over the next three years from lucrative broadcast deals. Serie A, by contrast, earns less than ten percent of that abroad.
“This imbalance gives English clubs an enormous financial advantage,” Como noted, “allowing them to keep their stars, attract the best talent, and expand their global influence.”
Milan defender Adrien Rabiot isn’t a fan and dismissed the plan as “completely crazy” and “really absurd,” while critics argue that taking domestic fixtures overseas risks undermining the very fabric of league competition, supporter loyalty, and tradition.