Follow usFIFA President Gianni Infantino has voiced concern over plans to stage domestic league matches outside their home countries, saying football is “taking a big risk” by disrupting the traditional competition structure.
Both La Liga and Serie A have received provisional approval from UEFA to host one match abroad this season — with Villarreal vs. Barcelona scheduled to be played in Miami in December and Milan vs. Como set for Perth in February. However, FIFA has yet to give its final approval for either fixture.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino wants football to keep an “open mind” about when World Cups are played. pic.twitter.com/f4dimbSH2e
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“We have a structure where we have matches at a national level, at a continental level and then at a global level. And this is a structure that has made football the number one sport in the world,” Infantino told reporters at the European Football Clubs (EFC) General Assembly in Rome. “If we want to break this structure, we are taking a big risk.”
He added that while UEFA has already approved the plans, several other governing bodies — including CONCACAF and AFC — must also sign off before FIFA makes its final decision.
“This La Liga match in Miami needs to be approved by CONCACAF. I do not know if the AFC has approved the match in Australia,” Infantino explained. “But this is one match — I think we need a more global reflection on what we want to do. Do we want everyone to play everywhere and do whatever they want? Or do we want a regulated system that takes into account the interests of everyone at national, continental, and club level, while also respecting the legitimacy of each to organize and regulate football in their own regions?”
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