Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Equity, Youth, Culture and Sports of the European Commission, stated on his 'X' account that he felt "deeply disappointed" by the organization of some European league soccer matches abroad, calling the initiative a "betrayal" for the fans.
"Strong and community-based clubs are the foundation of the European sports model. Moving competitions abroad is not innovation, it is betrayal," said the commissioner responsible for Sports.
The European Commission's position: "Football should be played in Europe"
Micallef also expressed that he is "a lifelong football fan" and specifically criticized the scheduled matches Villarreal-Barcelona in Miami for matchday 17 of LaLiga EA Sports and Milan-Como for Serie A, which would be held in Australia (official confirmation is still pending).
"For me, it is clear: European competitions should be played in Europe. European football must stay in Europe," declared Micallef, who is very aware of the opinion of the fans and has stated that he will take this into account for subsequent debates on sport and governance.
Likewise, Micallef describes these "initiatives" as "the first stress test for its governance since the Super League" and emphasizes that football teams owe their success to their "loyal fans".
FIFA's position on league matches abroad
For the year 2024, FIFA gave the green light for league matches from each country to be played outside their localities, a situation that was previously prohibited and generated several clashes between FIFA leaders with Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga.
There was much talk last season about the possibility that the match on December 21 between FC Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid, corresponding to matchday 18, would be played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. However, the idea was discarded and the match took place at the Estadio Olímpico de Montjuïc.
This season, however, the match at the Estadio de la Cerámica between Villarreal and Barça does have the 'Ok' from LaLiga and the RFEF. For now, only Real Madrid has spoken out against the match, awaiting the official report from UEFA and FIFA on an initiative that would forever change the ecosystem of domestic leagues in the world.