Quote from Alex bobby on August 28, 2025, 4:07 AM

EU Commissioner Slams Plans to Take European Football Games Abroad

European football stands on the verge of a controversial experiment that could redefine the sport’s relationship with its fans and communities. As Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A prepare to stage their first-ever regular-season matches outside Europe, EU Sport Commissioner Glenn Micallef has publicly condemned the plans, describing them as a “betrayal” of football’s identity and roots.

A Historic but Divisive Move

For decades, European football has prided itself on being deeply tied to local communities, cities, and traditions. The prospect of uprooting regular league fixtures from their home grounds and exporting them overseas marks a radical departure from that model.

La Liga has already received approval from Spain’s football federation to host its matchday 17 clash between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami on 20 December at the Hard Rock Stadium. Similarly, Italy’s football federation has backed Serie A’s plan to stage the AC Milan vs Como match in Perth, Australia, in February 2026. That game coincides with San Siro’s unavailability due to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Both fixtures still await the green light from international governing bodies like UEFA and FIFA. Should approval come, they would become the first-ever regular-season matches from major European leagues played outside the continent. Proponents view this as a milestone in football’s globalisation, while critics see it as an ominous step toward severing ties between clubs and their core supporters.

Commissioner Micallef: “A Betrayal, Not Innovation”

EU Sport Commissioner Glenn Micallef has taken an unambiguous stance. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), he declared:

“European competitions must be played in Europe. European football must stay in Europe. This is not innovation—it is betrayal.”

Micallef’s remarks followed discussions with Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), a coalition of fan groups spanning more than 50 UEFA member nations. FSE has consistently resisted attempts to stage league fixtures abroad, arguing that such moves threaten to erode the bond between clubs and the communities that sustain them.

By framing the issue as a betrayal rather than a natural progression, Micallef has set the tone for what could become one of the most contentious governance debates since the collapse of the European Super League project in 2021.

The Community Model Under Threat

At the heart of the dispute is the so-called European Sport Model, which emphasises local community engagement, solidarity funding, and open competition. Unlike the closed-franchise systems popular in the United States, European football has always championed promotion, relegation, and the principle that clubs exist for their communities first, commercial interests second.

By moving games abroad, critics argue, clubs risk alienating their most loyal supporters. Fans who invest time, money, and passion into attending matches at their home grounds may find themselves excluded as their team plays thousands of miles away.

Ronan Evain of FSE has warned that such relocations reduce fans to “consumers of a product” rather than participants in a shared cultural tradition. For many, the symbolism of Barcelona versus Villarreal unfolding in Miami—a city with no direct connection to either club—represents the creeping commodification of the sport.

Learning from American Sports

Defenders of the idea point to the success of American sports leagues in expanding their reach abroad. The NFL, for instance, has staged 55 international regular-season games since 2007, drawing packed stadiums in London, Mexico City, and Munich. In 2025 alone, seven more NFL games are scheduled outside the United States.

Similarly, Major League Baseball (MLB) and the NBA have taken marquee fixtures abroad, often attracting huge crowds and global media attention. For proponents, exporting matches is not about betraying tradition but embracing the realities of football’s global fan base.

With La Liga and Serie A already boasting millions of supporters across North America, Asia, and Oceania, playing matches abroad could deepen engagement and unlock lucrative commercial opportunities. For leagues grappling with widening financial gaps compared to the English Premier League, overseas games are seen as one way to bridge the divide.

Fans Versus Business Interests

Yet the comparison with American sports is not straightforward. US leagues are structured as closed systems, with franchises designed to maximise profitability and reach. European football’s pyramid system is fundamentally different, rooted in community traditions and competitive integrity.

Commissioner Micallef has warned that treating European football as a “global entertainment product” risks undermining its unique identity. The Super League backlash in 2021 demonstrated just how fiercely supporters will defend the values of open competition and local belonging. Many observers see the new proposals as a repeat of that battle—just in a different form.

Governance on the Line

The looming question is whether UEFA and FIFA will approve the fixtures. Both organisations are under pressure: on one hand, they recognise the financial and promotional potential of global matches; on the other, they face pushback from fans and policymakers who view the plan as a dangerous precedent.

Micallef has already suggested that the issue could become “the first big stress test for governance since the Super League.” If La Liga and Serie A succeed, other leagues may quickly follow suit. The result could be a future where European football increasingly resembles American-style franchises, with clubs touring global markets at the expense of home fans.

Looking Forward

The next 18 months will be crucial in determining whether European football resists or embraces this new global model. If Barcelona-Villarreal in Miami and AC Milan-Como in Perth are approved and succeed commercially, they may open the floodgates for more overseas fixtures.

Yet, the resistance from fans and policymakers suggests the road ahead will be anything but smooth. The balance between preserving football’s cultural roots and adapting to global markets will shape the sport’s future for decades to come. What happens in Miami and Perth may prove to be more than just football matches—they could be turning points in the identity of European football itself.

Final Thoughts

The debate over staging European football matches abroad goes far beyond two fixtures in Miami and Perth. At stake is the very identity of European football—whether it remains rooted in community traditions or transforms into a global entertainment product shaped by commercial interests.

While clubs and leagues see opportunities for growth, the strong resistance from supporters and policymakers shows that football is not just a business—it is a cultural institution. How UEFA, FIFA, and national federations respond will determine whether this experiment becomes an isolated controversy or the start of a fundamental shift in the game.

In the end, the question remains: can European football expand globally without losing the soul that has made it the world’s most beloved sport?

Conclusion

The clash over exporting regular-season games highlights the tension at the heart of modern football: tradition versus commercialisation, community versus global reach. For the EU’s Sport Commissioner, Glenn Micallef, the answer is clear—European football must stay in Europe. But with La Liga and Serie A pushing forward, and with UEFA and FIFA yet to decide, the outcome remains uncertain.

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EU Sport Commissioner Glenn Micallef slams La Liga and Serie A’s plans to stage matches in Miami and Perth, calling them a “betrayal” of European football’s roots.