Uefa has postponed a decision on whether to allow domestic league matches to be played abroad and promised a consultation with “all stakeholders … including fans” regarding the controversial plans.
The move casts uncertainty over proposals to play Villarreal v Barcelona and Milan v Como in the US and Australia respectively this season. Consultation is expected to begin soon, however, perhaps leaving the door open for those matches to go ahead.
The decision came after a meeting of Uefa’s executive committee on Thursday and will come as a relief to supporters’ groups who have been united in outrage at the proposals.
A Uefa statement said: “The committee acknowledged [overseas fixtures] as an important and growing issue but expressed the desire to ensure that it has the views of all stakeholders before coming to a final decision. There are many issues to resolve and as the European governing body, Uefa has a responsibility to take all such factors into account. As a result, no decision was taken today but Uefa will undertake a round of consultation with all stakeholders in European football – including fans.”
Leading supporters’ groups said last month in a letter to Fifa’s secretary general, Mattias Grafström, that moving games abroad would undermine sporting integrity while “reducing clubs to entertainment products detached from their tradition and communities”.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) welcomed Uefa’s consultation and said the move showed the governing body’s “dedication to preserving the integrity of European football”. An FSE spokesperson said: “The specific mention for fans to be involved in this engagement demonstrates that Uefa has recognised the strong opposition expressed by millions of supporters across the continent, as well as those of the many other stakeholders who have spoken out against these plans … Our position remains unchanged: European football belongs to our stadiums, our cities, our communities – one domestic match abroad is one too many.”
The next meeting of Uefa’s executive committee is scheduled for 3 December in Nyon, Switzerland.
