'Spineless nonsense' - Fans blast UEFA after 'exceptional decision' made to play Barcelona vs Villarreal in Miami and Como vs Milan in Perth

UEFA appears to be hiding behind ambiguity in FIFA's regulatory framework in "reluctantly" approving requests for Villarreal vs Barcelona, scheduled for December 21, to be played in Miami, and for AC Milan vs Como on February 8 to be moved to Perth, Australia.

FIFA will now have to give final approval of whether the proposed games go ahead on neutral foreign soil, with UEFA opting to reiterate "clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country".

A statement explained: "After the meeting of its Executive Committee in Tirana last month, UEFA undertook further consultations with stakeholders to assess the extent of the implications of the issue, following the applications it received from the Spanish and Italian national football associations.

"That consultation confirmed the widespread lack of support that had already been raised by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and European institutions around the concept of domestic league matches being relocated abroad.

"However, given that the relevant FIFA regulatory framework – currently under review – is not clear and detailed enough, the UEFA Executive Committee has reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis, the two requests referred to it. UEFA will actively contribute to the ongoing work led by FIFA to ensure that future rules uphold the integrity of domestic competitions and the close bond between clubs, their supporters and local communities."

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin suggested that anything but domestic games being played at home would "disenfranchise" local fans who usually attend matches. He also alluded to potential competitive distortion owing to introducing new factors. Villarreal, for example, will lose home advantage by the Barcelona fixture being played in Florida.

"League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions. Our consultation confirmed the breadth of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national associations for their constructive and responsible engagement on such a sensitive issue," Ceferin said.

"While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent. Our commitment is clear: to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment."

On X, @Bluenose_Andy accused UEFA of cowardice: "Spineless nonsense - you've seen this coming, been ill prepared, and rolled over and let it happen. And now you are looking to the morally bankrupt FIFA to supposedly save the situation - FFS."

@Philireland darkly pointed out: "We should have just made a super league, at least home games would seat at home. Ridiculous."

The response from @HavertzHub was blunt: "So you're not opposed at all then. Absolute cowards."

@retiredjosh_ is worried for football's very soul: "This is how football slowly turns into a global circus. Great for marketing, terrible for the soul of the game."

Even though UEFA is opposed to allowing domestic games overseas, the two requests from La Liga and Serie A were ultimately still approved. If FIFA also lets them go ahead and the regulatory process is not beefed up immediately, the question remains: will other European leagues hoping to pounce on a marketing boost try and follow suit?

The Premier League is the most globally popular domestic competition, and the idea of staging a game abroad has been on the backburner for years. Latterly, a compromise has been reached, with regular all-Premier League pre-season fixtures held in the United States since 2023.