NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA said Monday it would reluctantly not oppose the tradition-busting plans for Barcelona to play a league game in Miami and AC Milan in Australia.
Amid fierce opposition from fan groups across the continent, consent from the European soccer body was a key step for La Liga’s plan to stage Villarreal vs. Barcelona in Miami on Dec. 20 and Serie A’s AC Milan vs Como in Perth in February.
UEFA blamed a lack of clear rules from world soccer body FIFA to block the proposed games, which many fans see as a threat to cut teams’ ties to their home communities.
“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,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
UEFA said it 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.”
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
