Serie A game in Australia still possible despite unacceptable AFC conditions

The proposed Serie A match in Perth, Australia remains a work in progress and has not been abandoned despite unacceptable conditions imposed by the Asian Football Confederation, Serie A President Ezio Simonelli said on Friday.

The Italian FA approved Serie A’s request to move February’s fixture between AC Milan and Como due to San Siro’s unavailability as it hosts the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

UEFA reluctantly cleared the Serie A match in October in a decision that also covered LaLiga’s plan to stage a LaLiga game between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami this month, which was later cancelled following strong domestic opposition.

Recent Italian media reports suggested the Perth match, which would become the first major European domestic league fixture played outside its home country, was unlikely to go ahead.

“I’ve read things in recent days that aren’t correct,” Simonelli told reporters. “It’s not an idea that has been abandoned, but one that is still in progress. We’ve received many favourable opinions.”

Simonelli said the AFC was the only body that did not give unconditional approval, instead attaching two requirements.

The conditions stated that the match could not be organised, promoted or marketed by Serie A and that the AFC would appoint the match officials.

“That’s why we asked FIFA to give a final answer,” Simonelli said.

“We don’t consider those conditions acceptable, not because we don’t want to accept them, but because it’s impossible to play an Italian league match without defining it as such. Just as it’s impossible to go to Australia without Italian referees.”

He noted that Italian referees will officiate the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia next week, also under the AFC’s jurisdiction.

“Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding,” he said. “If it is, we consider those conditions non-existent and take it as a favourable opinion.”

Simonelli said he will meet FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Doha on December 17 in a bid to resolve the issue. He added that Serie A had not prepared alternative plans and continued to work toward staging the match in Perth on February 8.

“If FIFA says the match cannot take place, we’ll accept that,” he said. “I’m not making predictions. I’m simply saying that the process is still ongoing.”