6 days ago
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The CEO of Lega Serie A, Luigi De Siervo, has once again defended the plan to play AC Milan versus Como out in Australia.
It emerged in the build-up to the 2025-26 season that San Siro would be unusable by Milan or Inter from 6 February to 22 February 2026, because of the Winter Olympic Games that are being held in Milano-Cortina.
That happens to be a period when the Rossoneri had a home game scheduled, and thus a plan was hatched to move it not to another stadium Italy, but halfway across the world. This has drawn a lot of criticism, but the league and Milan have defended it strongly.
De Siervo’s defence
In what feels like a last-gasp move to try and rectify things from a PR perspective, De Siervo attempted to explain to Cronache di Spogliatoio the dynamics that led to the decision to have Milan-Como play in Australia. MilanPress relayed his comments.
How was the decision arrived at?
“If you ask an athlete if he wants to fly 20 hours to play a football match in his league, he’ll obviously say it’s crazy. If you ask a coach who’s playing for the Scudetto or a spot in the Champions League, he’ll also try to resist. If you ask people, no one wants to give up the chance to go to the stadium.
“But here it’s a question of whether we want the egg today or the chicken tomorrow. Anyone developing a sports property has the obligation to think five to ten years ahead, and we must do no more and no less than what the major American leagues have always done.
“If you want to become an international league, you have to have the courage to make unpopular decisions that don’t start by listening to the gut feelings of fans or players who have short- or medium-term interests.”
Can you explain the decision-making process?
“One Serie A match out of 380 is a small sacrifice. We’re talking about 0.26% of our matches that would be played on the other side of the world. Currently, seven different authorisations are needed to play a match abroad.
“The Serie A League, at this time, within a process established by the current rules, has obtained five out of seven of the authorisations. The two teams, Milan and Como, have agreed. In Italy, 20 out of 20 teams have agreed, unlike in Spain, where there was internal conflict.
“Here, everyone agreed: the FIGC Federal Council voted, and we also obtained the approval of the European confederation, namely UEFA. We also obtained the approval of the Australian Federation, and we are awaiting the response of the Asian Confederation, which should issue its opinion within a few days.
“After that, the final authorisation required is that of Gianni Infantino’s FIFA, which – somehow – must be the last one to resolve the issue. From a technical standpoint, from a thorough analysis, there are no reasons to prevent this match from taking place.
“If you carefully read the results, including the Super League ruling, it’s clear that football’s governing bodies – particularly in Italy’s case, FIFA and UEFA – have a series of rights, but also duties, meaning they cannot prevent certain aspects from taking place that are not prohibited.
“In this sense, this match, which everyone now sees as a break with the system, will likely be seen as a distant memory in five years, because this matter will have been cleared by customs.”
Does this not set a precedent for the future?
“We don’t want to upset the balance of football. We’re all like you, passionate about this sport, but romanticism shouldn’t be mistaken for a barrier to global development. Football, as what’s happening with the French League perfectly demonstrates, if it’s unable to innovate and attract fans, loses certain resources and therefore dies.
“No one thinks about the fact that football where money rains down from above no longer exists, or that there isn’t a generous person who invests hundreds of millions without actually seeing any return. We have the football we deserve, which we are capable of maintaining and sustaining.
“We’re not going to Australia for money; that’s not the point; it’s wrong. Of course, that’s also needed to cover the increased costs, to make up for the lack of revenue at the San Siro stadium that day, but that’s not the motivation; that’s a mistake, looking at the finger and not the moon.
“We will try to go to Australia, I repeat, if we can. It will be granted, only because there is a community of people there who are no less worthy than the Curva Sud fans to see Milan. In fact, the more distant the relationship, the more it must be cultivated.
“Therefore, Milan – a team that has already played twice in Perth, both last summer and the previous one – which is where this opportunity arose, and that brought us to Western Australia with this opportunity.
“Incidentally, this is perhaps some interesting news: the offer comes not only for Milan, but also for Inter, seizing what could have been an opportunity for them, namely the closure of San Siro, and they considered hosting both Milanese teams.
“However, Inter, for organisational reasons, declined this opportunity, while AC Milan enthusiastically accepted it, inviting us to explore it further.”
How do UEFA and FIFA feel?
“I don’t think anyone wanted us to play this match, neither FIFA nor UEFA. But we are people who respect the rules and believe we have the right to do so. So it’s very difficult for these institutions to find a technical argument to say no.
“If you analyse the Spanish case, the argument isn’t technical. A delaying technique was used there: wasting time until we got so close to the event that it was no longer feasible. And this is one of the risks we face. But what we need to do is have a clear strategic objective.
“Today we’re talking about something small like the Milan-Como match. In reality, the international scenarios and challenges are much more varied and complex, but that’s what we’re here for today. We need to insist on that in the right way, following the procedures.
“We believe that we will get a yes and that this can bring an advantage. It’s an opportunity for the Lega Serie A. An opportunity for the entire Italian corporate system that is there, which uses this as the country’s soft power.
“This is for the fans. It may be less interesting, but the fact that we are proudly Italian and attached to our football… When we travel, all of us are asked about our football and how much we suffer today from the fact that we have been out of the World Cup for so many years. But we are tied to the results of the Italian teams.
“The fact that they are well-known, the fact that there are international champions of the calibre of Pulisic is a fundamental element. For example, the USA is another potential strategic market.
“If we always think about today, simply about the small problem that catching a flight can cause, with all due respect to Allegri or Rabiot, this is a sin, it is a mortal sin.”
English (US) ·