Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Monday, December 22, 2025, 7:06 p.m. / Updated Monday, December 22, 2025, 7:08 p.m.
It only took three days for the miracle of moving a Serie A game outside of Italy. After announcing that AC Milan v Como would take place on February 8 in Perth, president Ezio Simonelli reversed the situation: “The Asian Confederation made unacceptable demands on the League, making it impossible to play that match in Australia. The move has been cancelled!”.
After the Spaniards failed to play the first La Liga match outside the country's borders – Villarreal – Barcelona was supposed to take place in Miami on December 21, not at the Estadio de la Cerámica (0-2) – and the Italians did the same, so the first attempt by the Europeans, to move a game to another continent, remains just a dream for now.
“Although Lega Calcio Serie A followed, promptly and correctly, the complex authorization process, which took several months, through the approval of the participating clubs, the Lega Calcio Serie A Assembly, the FIGC Federal Council, the UEFA Executive Committee, the Australian Federation, and admitted the hardly acceptable sporting conditions demanded by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), it became impossible to play the Milan – Como match in Perth on February 8.
Como fans protested against the intention of the Italian League to move the match with AC Milan to Australia for financial reasons / Photo: Imago
Lega Serie A: “Additional and unacceptable demands of the AFC”
The decision had to be made in front of one escalations of additional and unusual requests made by the AFC in recent hours to the Australian Federation and consequently by the Government of Western Australia and Lega Calcio Serie A.
Although we express our regret for the epilogue of the project, we remain firmly convinced that it is a lost opportunity in the project to develop Italian football internationally, which also deprives the many Serie A fans abroad of the dream of witnessing a live match of their favorite team.
The decision was later made official and explained in the joint statement issued by Serie A and the Government of Western Australia: “The plan to host in Perth the first official match of a European championship outside national borders has been canceled following a mutual agreement between Lega Calcio Serie A and the Government of Western Australia.
The parties made the decision in the case unavoidable financial risks, onerous approval conditions and last-minute complications beyond their control.
Ezio Simonelli, the president of the Italian League, wants to move Serie A to the USA as well, after the Italian Super Cup is already played in Saudi Arabia / Photo: Imago
It would be the first time a top European points championship match had been played outside the country, representing a unique opportunity for Western Australia to make history in international football.”
AFC imposed referees from Asia for Milan – Como in Perth!
Milan – Como, from the 24th stage of the Series, was as if nailed down for February 8, in Perth. “AFC has not waived its terms, particularly the demand that the match be refereed by an Asian referee.
And at that time, Serie A agreed to play the first match in the history of the Italian championship abroad“, wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday.
“The meeting with Infantino was very cordial and the FIFA president spoke alongside the AFC leaders. I had a number of doubts about the conditions imposed for playing the match in Perth. Above all, we were forced to have foreign referees”, explained Ezio Simonelli.
