A win for football integrity: Milan, Como fixture in serious doubt
Credit: Tom McCarthy
Reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport suggest the controversial Serie A fixture between AC Milan and Como proposed for Perth is now unlikely to proceed.
These developments represent a significant victory for common sense, integrity, and local football supporters globally.
The proposal appears to have hit a significant regulatory wall.
It is reported that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Football Australia have enforced strict governance standards—specifically prohibiting official "Serie A" branding and requiring local AFC officiating.
These conditions effectively strip the match of its "official" competitive status, rendering the export of a domestic league fixture commercially unviable.
FSAA Chair, Patrick Clancy today reaffirmed the Association's position, noting that the reported outcome aligns with the fundamental principles of sporting integrity.
"If reports are correct about the cancellation of the Serie A game proposed for Perth in February 2026, then Football Supporters Association Australia (FSAA) welcomes that move.”
“FSAA has held a principled, unanimous position in firm opposition to the relocation of domestic league matches abroad.“
”Proposals to move domestic league matches abroad do not fundamentally align with the essential football principles of integrity and proper sporting merit“, he said.
The FSAA has been active behind the scenes regarding this issue. As part of our commitment to holding stakeholders to account, Clancy confirmed that formal representations were made earlier this year:
Credit: Curva Como 1907
"The FSAA wrote to both the West Australian Government and Football Australia in October outlining our clear position and seeking they do not provide approval or funding for this fixture to go ahead."
The fixture was widely condemned by both players and supporters alike. This included the active support of both clubs, Curva Sud Milano and Curva Como 1907 as well as a swell of solidarity against the exporting of domestic matches from over 550 supporter groups representing more than 3 million football fans across Europe, the UK, and the USA.
"This stance aligns with the position of over 550 supporter groups globally," Clancy noted.
While we welcome these developments, we are disappointed that developments ever got this far.
The fact that this proposal, believed to be in the vicinity of AU$21 million, was entertained so seriously highlights a failure of football leaders globally to hold the integrity of the game and its supporters above commercial interests.
Competitive integrity should never be a negotiable commodity, and local supporters should never have to fight to keep their domestic league on home soil.
The FSAA remains steadfastly committed to protecting the integrity of the game—both here and abroad.
We will continue to put supporters and football communities first, standing firmly alongside our allies, and supporters globally to ensure the soul of the game is preserved.
Albeit accidental, cancelling this proposed exported fixture is firmly the right decision.
Moving forward, we urge Football Australia to work with stakeholders and governments to continue focusing its energy on protecting, developing, and supporting our own domestic football products, including the A-Leagues, the Australian Championship, National Premier Leagues, and grassroots football.
Our priority must be developing our own pyramid, rather than importing foreign competition that dilutes, overshadows, and devalues our own local game.
