"Uefa said in a statement that it had reiterated its clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country but that because the relevant Fifa regulatory framework currently under review is not clear and detailed enough, the Uefa Executive Committee has reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis, the two requests referred to it."
"League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions. Our consultation confirmed the breadth of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national associations for their constructive and responsible engagement on such a sensitive issue. While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent."
UEFA approved two domestic league matches to be played abroad this season: Barcelona v Villarreal in Miami in December and Milan v Como in Perth in February. UEFA reiterated opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country but approved the fixtures exceptionally because the relevant FIFA regulatory framework under review lacks sufficient clarity and detail. The Italian and Spanish football federations applied for the matches. UEFA’s consultation found a lack of wider support and national associations agreed to engage with UEFA before submitting similar future requests. The approvals are framed as exceptional and not precedent-setting.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]