Supporters’ groups from across Europe voiced their opposition to attempts from European leagues to stage domestic matches outside the country, saying on Wednesday that the concept undermines the rules of the competition for short-term financial gain.
Serie A is planning to stage a match between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, next February while LaLiga hopes to move Villarreal’s game against Barcelona to Miami in December.
The scathing statement from Football Supporters Europe (FSE) was co-signed by hundreds of supporter clubs across Europe.
“The latest efforts to disrupt the nature of European football with La Liga and Serie A trying to relocate games to the United States and Australia are a direct attack on the essence of football,” FSE said.
“Football is based on a set of rules and principles and the rules of domestic leagues are simple: you play the same clubs home and away and the best team wins the league. Relocating games to foreign soil undermines this vital pillar of the game.
“Any deviation from the existing rules is a perversion of football for the sole purpose of entertainment and short-term financial gain.”
The Italian football federation and Spanish FA have already given their leagues the green light, but both proposed matches still require approval from soccer governing bodies UEFA and FIFA.
FSE said flying players, staff and fans to another country for a ‘home’ game was “absurd, unaffordable, and environmentally irresponsible”, calling on UEFA and FIFA to reject these proposals.
Last week, the European Union Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef said moving the games abroad was not an innovation but a ‘betrayal’.
Serie A responded by saying Micallef’s remarks were ‘excessive’ as they were moving only one match out of 380 in a season.
LaLiga President Javier Tebas also defended the decision, saying fans around the world also deserved to see their teams play live.
