UEFA Delays Overseas Matches Ruling As LaLiga Miami Game Looms

UEFA’s executive committee has delayed issuing a definitive ruling on proposals for separate LaLiga and Serie A matches to be played outside of their home countries this season.

This summer, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) approved a request from Barcelona and Villarreal to play a match scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and the Italian soccer federation (FIGC) gave its blessing for an AC Milan–Como match in February to be moved to Perth.

However, both leagues need further approval from UEFA, which has been slow to say yes in the wake of fan unrest about moving matches overseas. FIFA must also sign off on the moves, but its long-standing ban on teams playing domestic league games abroad has been under pressure in several courts. LaLiga’s efforts to host a match in Miami date back to 2018. 

“The Executive Committee discussed the requests from the RFEF and FIGC to approve the playing of one domestic league match each outside the home country, in particular outside the UEFA territory,” the governing body said in a statement Thursday following a meeting in Tirana, Albania. “The committee acknowledged it as an important and growing issue but expressed the desire to ensure that it has the views of all stakeholders before coming to a final decision. 

“There are many issues to resolve and as the European governing body, UEFA has a responsibility to take all such factors into account. As a result, no decision was taken today but UEFA will undertake a round of consultation with all stakeholders in European football—including fans.”

The next meeting of the UEFA executive committee is scheduled for Dec. 3, just two and a half weeks before the proposed Barcelona-Villarreal match in Miami.