July 11 – Italy’s football federation has given the OK for AC Milan’s Serie A clash with Como to be played in Perth, Australia, in what would be European football’s first competitive domestic fixture staged abroad.
This stems from Olympic logistics – the San Siro is needed for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony on February 6, 2026 – but make no mistake, this precedent could dramatically bring change to everything we take for granted about domestic football.
Serie A, like every major European league, is constantly sniffing around untapped markets, and Australia represents a sports-mad nation with a growing interest in football. Perth’s 32,000-capacity HBF Park would likely sell out while giving Serie A priceless exposure in the Asia-Pacific region.
For Milan, the chance to play in front of passionate Australian supporters – many of whom set alarms for 3am to watch Serie A – represents marketing gold that money simply can’t buy. The global reach would make a typical San Siro encounter against newly-promoted Como look like a kickabout in the park.
But here’s where it gets messy. Football’s competitive integrity depends on level playing fields, and staging domestic fixtures abroad introduces variables that could fundamentally alter sporting outcomes.
Travel fatigue isn’t some minor inconvenience when teams face a 20-hour slog to Perth. While Milan might fancy this as an adventure, Como – scrapping for Serie A survival – could legitimately argue they’re being disadvantaged by having to prepare for a crucial league match on the other side of the planet.
The neutral venue also skews competitive balance. Milan lose home advantage while Como doesn’t gain theirs either. It’s sporting purgatory that could prove decisive in tight relegation battles or European qualification races.
Most worrying is the precedent this sets. If Milan-Como gets the green light from Football Australia, UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA, what stops other leagues engineering similar scenarios?
The Premier League’s global popularity means they’ll be watching like hawks. La Liga has already made noises and via the US courts forced FIFA to re-examine the possibility of playing league matches overseas, while even the traditionally resistant Bundesliga might reconsider if competitors gain marketing advantages.
It raises the possibility of “domestic” leagues scattered across continents, with fixture lists reading like airline timetables rather than football schedules.
Local supporters who plan their entire lives around their teams will also be impacted, emotionally and potentially financially. Milan’s season ticket holders miss a home fixture they’ve paid for, while Como’s traveling contingent faces an impossible journey. The passionate atmosphere that makes Serie A special gets replaced by curious neutrals and corporate hospitality.
Football’s soul has always been rooted in community, in local pride, in the ritual of supporting your team in familiar surroundings. Taking matches abroad, regardless of the reason, chips away at that foundation.
The “complex authorisation procedure” mentioned by the FIGC hints at the bureaucratic challenge ahead. Multiple governing bodies need approval, broadcast rights require renegotiation, and security protocols must be established from scratch.
While Milan-Como in Perth might seem like a one-off solution to an Olympic scheduling conflict, it represents a watershed moment for European football. The commercial temptation is undeniable, but the sporting integrity risks are equally real.
The FIGC stated this brings closer “what would be a historic ‘trip’ abroad for a Serie A match.” The question isn’t whether it’s historic – it’s whether it’s worth the historical precedent it sets.
Football authorities need to tread carefully. Open this door, and there may be no closing it again.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1752765490labto1752765490ofdlr1752765490owedi1752765490sni@o1752765490fni1752765490