ROME (AP) — An Italian league match between two teams located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) apart could be held in Australia next year.
The Italian soccer federation announced on Thursday that a plan is in motion to play the Serie A match between AC Milan and Como in Perth in February.
“The board has given a positive opinion to the league’s request to play Milan-Como in Perth,” the FIGC said in a statement. “So we are closing in on what would be a historic ‘away’ match abroad, taking into account that the complex authorization procedure also needs the formal green light from the Australian federation, UEFA, the Asian Football Federation and FIFA.”
The Spanish league has tried at least three times over the past seven years to take a regular season game to the United States.
Plans in 2018 and 2019 were scrapped after opposition by Spain’s soccer federation and the players’ union, while another proposal was dropped last year because of time constraints.
The FIGC believes UEFA could approve the plan because of “the absolute exceptionality of the request.”
The match is scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 7-8 but Milan’s San Siro stadium will host the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics that Friday.
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The Associated Press
