Serie A president confirms Milan-Como will be played in Perth: “Ample assurances”

The president of Lega Serie A Ezio Simonelli has claimed that AC Milan’s game against Como will take place in Perth, contrary to recent reports.

In recent months, the idea of playing the fixture in Australia has grown in momentum, to the point of being an official proposal. It would set a new precedent as the first competitive European league fixture ever held abroad, if it were to go ahead.

However, what emerged recently suggested that there are now strong doubts developing. The Athletic suggested that everything is far from done and dusted because of pressure from FIFA but also the demands of the Asian Football Confederation, which were not expected to be accepted.

Simonelli spoke to SportMediaset before the game between Napoli and Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana, and he was asked a couple of questions about logistics. His words were relayed by MilanNews.

The Supercoppa in Saudi Arabia again…

“We’re very pleased with the success of this event. Having a full stadium is incredibly rewarding, demonstrating that this globalisation effort is bearing fruit. We even met locals wearing Napoli and Milan caps, which is proof that this initiative is bearing fruit.”

Where is Milan-Como being played?

“The game will be played in Perth on February 8th as scheduled. We had a formal meeting with Infantino. We had a number of concerns about the requirements we received, but Collina gave us ample assurances regarding the Asian referees.

“This condition, which was the most difficult to accept, we will accept. We overcame the hurdle regarding the referees thanks to the great confidence we have in Collina.”