Adrien Rabiot, recent signing from AC Milan, has been very critical with the decision to take one Serie A match between Milan and Como from February 2026 to Perth, Australia, in a move described as "regrettable" by UEFA, which had to reluctantly approve it (and another similar case in LaLiga between Villarreal and Barcelona) despite being against it.
In an interview with Le Figaro, now that Rabiot has returned to France for the international break, the 30-year-old midfielder said that "It's completely crazy. But these are financial agreements to give visibility to the league, things that are beyond us. There's a lot of talk about schedules and player health, but this all seems truly absurd. It's crazy to travel so many miles for a match between two Italian teams in Australia. We have to adapt, as always."
But Luigi De Siervo, Chief Executive from the Italian league, said that Rabiot "was right" when he said that this decision was taken without input from the players, "but Rabiot forgets, like all footballers who earn millions of euros, that they are paid to carry out an activity, to play football. He should have respect for the money he earns, complying with the wishes of his employer, Milan, who accepted and pushed for this match to be played abroad".
Exceptional games played abroad, good for business or an affront to fans?
De Siervo added that this move strengthens the product, and puts as examples Tour de France, which started from Florence last year, or the NFL and NBA games played abroad. "We believe, however, that this can be a model that the world of football, with precise rules, must follow if it is not to lose out to other sports."
UEFA, in their statement, said that "league matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions".
Do you agree with UEFA, or side with Serie A and LaLiga chiefs' view that this will be beneficial for the league?