A News Agency

Europe’s most powerful football official opposed plans by Spanish and Italian football authorities to stage league matches in the United States and Australia to showcase some of their iconic clubs in new markets.

The proposals to hold a La Liga match in Miami and a Serie A match in Perth this week prompted a strong warning from the European Commission about their impact on local fans.

Čeferin told POLITICO in an interview in Monaco: “We will also start this discussion with FIFA and all federations, because I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Okay, if it’s an exception, if there is a reason – no problem. But in principle European teams should play in Europe because the fans who support them live in Europe. This is a great tradition,” he added.

Slovenian lawyer Čeferin, who has headed Europe’s football governing body since 2016, warned that the legal options to block the plans are limited.

“We are not happy, but legally, no matter how much control we have, if the federations and both [Spanish and Italian] federations approve it, we don’t have much room,” he said.

“However, I think in the future we will have to discuss this very seriously, because football should be played in Europe, fans should watch football at home. They cannot travel to Australia or the US to see their teams,” he added.

Italian officials first sparked controversy by announcing plans to stage a league match between AC Milan and Como in Western Australia in February 2026 due to its overlap with the Winter Olympics in Northern Italy.