Serie A to Play Match in Australia: A First for Italian Football
Primary Keyword: Serie A Australia Match
Secondary Keywords: Italian football abroad, Milan Como Perth, Serie A international games, San Siro Olympics, football globalization, Riyadh Super Cup, Italian Super Cup
Serie A, Italy’s top professional football league, has made a landmark decision to host a competitive match outside of Italy for the first time in its history. A regular season fixture between AC Milan and Como will be played in Perth, Australia, on February 8th. This move marks a notable step towards the globalization of Italian football,though it hasn’t been without controversy.
The decision to take the match to Perth is directly linked to logistical challenges surrounding AC Milan’s home stadium, the San Siro. The stadium will be unavailable two days prior to the match due to the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics,jointly hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.This unavailability prompted Serie A to seek an alternative venue for the fixture.
This development follows a similar, though ultimately unsuccessful, attempt by La Liga, the Spanish top-flight league, to host a match in the United States. In late 2023, plans for a Barcelona versus Girona match in Miami were scrapped following logistical and organizational hurdles. https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/napoli-beat-fiorentina-3-1-reach-italian-super-cup-final-2024-01-18/ The final of the Super Cup, featuring Napoli and Inter Milan, was also held in Riyadh on January 22, 2024, with Inter winning 1-0. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/jan/22/inter-beat-napoli-to-win-italian-super-cup-in-riyadh
The match in Perth is expected to generate significant interest from the large Italian diaspora in Australia and further promote Serie A’s brand internationally. While the logistical and player welfare concerns are valid, the decision represents a bold move by Serie A to tap into new revenue streams and broaden its global fanbase.
Keep reading