Plans for Serie A game in Australia cancelled over AFC conditions

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FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Italian Super Cup - Semi Final - Inter Milan v Atalanta - Al Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 2, 2025 New Serie A president Ezio Simonelli before the match REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo

Dec 22 - A proposal to play a Serie A match between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, has been cancelled, the league and the government of Western Australia said on Monday, due to football sanctions and conditions imposed by the Asian Football Confederation.

The game was set to become the first major European domestic league fixture to be played outside its home country, but will now not go ahead because of the financial risks and last-minute complications.

In the face of an escalation of further and unacceptable requests arrived in the last few hours by the AFC towards the Australian Federation and consequently the Government of Western Australia and the Serie A Football League, it has become impossible to play the Milan – Como match in Perth on 8 February, Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said in a statement.

The Italian FA approved Serie As request to move Februarys fixture due to the San Siros unavailability as it hosts the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, and UEFA reluctantly cleared the match in October.

Along with the practical reasons, Serie A saw the game in Australia as an opportunity to promote its product abroad and believes