UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin says moving games abroad risks ‘breaking’ football

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says taking matches away from their community roots risks “breaking” football.

European football’s governing body said on Monday it had reluctantly granted approval for one LaLiga and one Serie A match to be played overseas this season, citing uncertainty around the legal framework.

Ceferin insisted at the time the decision did not set a precedent, and told the General Assembly of European Football Clubs in Rome on Wednesday: “Football is not just about balance sheets. It’s not just entertainment.

“It’s life in our communities. It is the streets, the clubs and the fans that shape it, and if we pull it too far away from those roots, we risk breaking it. In uncertain times, football is our anchor.”

Villarreal and Barcelona are keen to play in Miami in December, while AC Milan’s match against Como is set to be staged in Perth, Australia, in February.

Ceferin said European football had the potential to be “unstoppable” and “eternal” like the city of Rome, provided there was unity and inclusion.

He again maintained UEFA’s competitions were open to all, and that with the support of EFC – the new name for the European Club Association – it would never run anything akin to a closed Super League.

“Lasting value comes only from unity, from balance and from reforms that strengthen everyone, not just a few,” Ceferin added.

“UEFA will never and would never organise a competition for 12 clubs only. UEFA wants inclusion.

“UEFA wants that dream to stay alive and, together with EFC, we will make sure that our club football is inclusive and that everybody has a chance to win the best competitions.”

Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner responsible for intergenerational fairness, youth, culture and sport, praised UEFA for its stance against the Super League and against domestic matches being moved overseas – even though it has granted permission for two games this season.

“(UEFA) was right again in its decision this week, you are showing leadership and you are showing maturity,” Micallef told the EFC gathering.

“But more than that, you are sending a very strong message that the soul of European football lies in the fans, in our community and in the integrity of the game.”

Football Supporters Europe said on Monday: “We urge LaLiga and Serie A to act for the greater good of football and withdraw their plans rather than push ahead in the face of overwhelming opposition from the rest of the football family and the European institutions.

“We call on FIFA to uphold and reinforce their current regulations and reject the applications to relocate these domestic fixtures abroad. There is still time to do right by clubs, players, officials, supporters, and communities.”

Now that the clubs have approval from their confederation, UEFA, all that remains is a green light from the host confederations – CONCACAF, the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The current regulations on staging matches overseas were agreed by the FIFA Council in 2018, but were challenged in the United States courts by marketing agency Relevent. The settling of that case in April 2024 has opened the door for leagues to stage games overseas, with a new framework still under discussion.

Relevent is UEFA’s sole marketing agency for the sale of its club competition media rights for the 2027-2033 cycle.