UEFA ‘regrettably’ approves La Liga, Serie A requests to play league video games overseas

UEFA has accepted a landmark transfer to permit Italian and Spanish home league matches to be staged overseas whereas reiterating its “clear opposition” to the plans, which it has granted “on an exceptional basis amid regulatory gaps at global level”.

Aleksander Ceferin, the president of European soccer’s governing physique, has described the choice as “regrettable” and mentioned that it ought to “not be seen as setting a precedent”, including that “league matches should be played on home soil”.

Italy’s Serie A is hopeful of enjoying February’s fixture between Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, whereas Spain’s La Liga needs to stage the scheduled December assembly between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami, Florida.

No regular-season league matches in European soccer have beforehand been staged overseas, with UEFA’s approval now initiating the procedures for FIFA, the physique overseeing world soccer, to grant authorisation for the fixture change.

Last month, UEFA delayed a call on approving the requests, saying it wished to “ensure that it has the views of all stakeholders before coming to a final decision”.

In an announcement on Monday, UEFA mentioned: “That consultation confirmed the widespread lack of support that had already been raised by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and European institutions around the concept of domestic league matches being relocated abroad.

“However, given that the relevant FIFA regulatory framework — currently under review — is not clear and detailed enough, the UEFA Executive Committee has reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis, the two requests referred to it. UEFA will actively contribute to the ongoing work led by FIFA to ensure that future rules uphold the integrity of domestic competitions and the close bond between clubs, their supporters and local communities.”

The request to UEFA got here after August’s approval from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to stage the Spanish top-flight sport between Villarreal and Barcelona on the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens.

“League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions,” Ceferin mentioned. “Our consultation confirmed the breadth of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national associations for their constructive and responsible engagement on such a sensitive issue.

“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent. Our commitment is clear: to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”

Glen Micallef, European Commissioner for Sport, beforehand described proposals to stage video games overseas as a “betrayal” of community-based soccer golf equipment.

League matches being moved overseas turned a risk in April this yr, when Relevent Sports settled a six-year lengthy lawsuit with the U.S Soccer Federation. In May 2024, FIFA accepted a working group to look into potential adjustments to its guidelines after world soccer’s governing physique was dropped as a defendant by Relevent.

The German Football League (DFL) has dominated out transferring any Bundesliga matches overseas, whereas England’s Premier League thought of enjoying a spherical of fixtures often called the ‘39th game’ exterior of the United Kingdom in 2008 however confronted big backlash from supporters and opposition from FIFA.

What does this imply for the way forward for soccer?

Analysis by The Athletic’s senior soccer reporter Matt Slater

A extra cynical soul than me would counsel that UEFA’s determination to “reluctantly” approve the abroad video games that LaLiga and Serie A have requested for, whereas concurrently sticking up for legacy followers by saying this shouldn’t be a precedent, could be very, very handy.

But I believe UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is honest in each his opposition to this concept and his perception that his organisation couldn’t do a lot to cease these video games.

The key line within the press launch is the reference to FIFA’s “regulatory framework”, which is beneath overview, not being “clear and detailed enough” for UEFA to take a braver stance.

And that is in keeping with what Ceferin informed on-line outlet Politico final month, when he mentioned: “We’re not happy but, as much as checked legally, we don’t have much space here, if the federation agrees, and both federations agreed.”

This means UEFA’s legal professionals have come to the identical conclusion as these working for FIFA and US Soccer of their struggle with Relevent over the American company’s long-running makes an attempt to deliver top-tier European home soccer to the United States.

Relevent received that argument within the U.S. courts and we’re nonetheless ready for international soccer chiefs to provide you with a response that doesn’t break American anti-trust legislation however equally doesn’t destroy nationwide leagues.

But the actual query for Ceferin is how daring will he be within the fights forward, as a result of no one thinks a match in Miami after which one in Australia would be the finish of it. Will the UEFA boss be prepared to tackle the coalition of huge golf equipment, leagues, broadcasters, sponsors and abroad followers that need this to occur?

Final approval for these first two experiments sits with FIFA however we will be fairly sure that it, too, will reluctantly give them the nod.

What will FIFA and UEFA do when LaLiga, Serie A and each different league that wishes to develop its worldwide revenues comes again with an extended checklist of “one-off” international adventures for subsequent season?

This is the start of a a lot larger struggle for soccer’s future, not the tip.

(Top picture of Aleksandr Ceferin: Pedrag Milosavljevic/AFP through Getty Images)