By Oluchi Omai
Plans to stage a Serie A league fixture between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, have been abandoned, organisers confirmed on Monday.
The highly anticipated match, which had been scheduled to take place on 8 February 2026, was set to become the first league game from Europe’s top five football divisions played outside its home continent. However, the proposed relocation has now been called off by mutual agreement between Lega Serie A and the Government of Western Australia.
In a joint statement, both parties said they had reached the decision after assessing financial risks, onerous regulatory conditions and last-minute complications that made staging the fixture unfeasible.
Serie A president Ezio Simonelli cited demands from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as a key contributing factor to the cancellation, saying that “an escalation of further unacceptable requests in the last few hours” had made it impossible for the game to proceed as planned.
The fixture had been moved from Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium because the venue is scheduled to host the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics two days prior.
Although European football authorities, including UEFA, had given tentative approval for the overseas staging of the match, it faced persistent criticism from players and supporters. Several Milan players, notably midfielders Adrien Rabiot and goalkeeper Mike Maignan, had publicly voiced their opposition to the relocation, describing the idea as impractical and unnecessary.
The cancellation follows a similar decision by La Liga earlier this year, when plans to hold a regular-season match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, United States, were shelved amid widespread criticism and logistical uncertainty.
With the Perth match now off the agenda, organisers are expected to explore alternative arrangements for the Serie A game, including the possibility of rescheduling it at a different venue within Italy.
Source: AFP
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