For the first time, Serie A is held in a country belonging to the Southeast Asian Football Federation.

AC Milan has been given permission by the Italian Football Federation to host a Serie A match against Como in Perth, Australia next year.

Australian fans prepare to watch Milan play Serie A

The match was scheduled to coincide with the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, which was to be held at Milan's legendary San Siro stadium on February 6. Therefore, the European football giant had to find an alternative, and they did not choose a place close to home but a place half a world away.

If the plan goes ahead, it would be the first time an official Serie A match has been played outside of Italy. However, many fans have criticised the idea, with some calling it “pitiful”.

One fan commented harshly: “How much money did you spend on this? You guys are making a fool of yourself, how pitiful.” Another asked: “Who in Australia would want to watch Milan play Como?” Another fan sarcastically said: “Why not just hold Inter Milan vs Juventus in… the Gaza Strip?”

It is known that AC Milan also recently set foot in Western Australia, when they had a pre-season friendly match against Perth Glory at HBF Park on July 31. The difference in class was very clear, when the "Rossoneri" easily crushed their opponents 9-0.

Meanwhile, La Liga had planned to play Barcelona against Atletico Madrid in Miami last year, but the plan was scrapped due to scheduling issues. Previously, in 2019, Barcelona also planned to move the match against Girona to Miami (USA), but the plan soon collapsed due to strong opposition from the Spanish Football Federation and the players' association.

For its part, the Premier League (England) has repeatedly stated that it has no plans to take official matches abroad. Australia officially joined the AFF in 2013, after moving from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2006.

Source: https://znews.vn/lan-dau-serie-a-to-chuc-tai-nuoc-thuoc-ldbd-dong-nam-a-post1577484.html