Milan v Como in Perth: historic Serie A match with Asian referee | OneFootball

Now it’s official: Milan-Como will be played in Australia. After weeks of debate and controversy, Serie A president Ezio Maria Simonelli has confirmed that the league match will take place in Perth on February 8, marking an unprecedented milestone for Italian football.

Milan-Como in Perth, a historic turning point for Serie A: Simonelli confirms and opens up to an Asian referee

The announcement came during an interview with Sportmediaset, on the sidelines of the ongoing Italian Super Cup in Riyadh, and definitively clarifies a scenario that has sparked discussion among insiders and fans alike.

Simonelli: “It will be played in Australia as planned”

Simonelli explained that the decision is now final, also focusing on one of the most delicate aspects of the operation: refereeing.

“It will be played there as planned. I met with Infantino in a cordial manner and we had doubts especially regarding the referees, because we had been assigned foreign referees.”

This central issue was resolved thanks to discussions with Pierluigi Collina, a global reference figure for referees.

“Collina gave me guarantees about Asian referees, he has some quality officials to recommend for the match. We will accept this condition, then we’ll finalize the rest.”

The match will therefore be officiated by an Asian referee, a choice that confirms the League’s intention to adapt to an international context while maintaining high standards of quality and reliability.

A match symbolizing the internationalization of Serie A

Milan-Como in Perth is not just a logistical curiosity, but represents a strategic step in Serie A’s global expansion process. Taking an official league match to the other side of the world means exporting the Italian football product to new markets, strengthening the brand, visibility, and commercial interest.

Simonelli linked this choice to the success of the Italian Super Cup abroad, emphasizing how the public’s response is rewarding the path taken.

“We are happy with the public’s success for this competition, we are satisfied with this internationalization that is bearing fruit. The fans here are becoming passionate.”

Riyadh as a testing ground, Perth as a new horizon

The sold-out crowd for Napoli-Milan in Riyadh was highlighted as a strong signal: interest in Italian football outside national borders is real and growing. Perth will now become the new laboratory to test how attractive Serie A can be even in geographically and culturally distant contexts.

From a sporting perspective, the match will obviously retain its value in the standings, but it will inevitably be accompanied by global media attention and unprecedented logistical organization.

A decision destined to spark debate

The choice to play Milan-Como in Australia will continue to spark debate, especially regarding tradition, fanbase, and the identity of the league. But the message sent by the League is clear: Serie A wants to position itself firmly among the world’s top leagues, even through bold and innovative decisions.

On February 8, Perth is preparing to host a historic event. Milan-Como will not just be a league match, but the symbol of a Serie A that is looking further and further afield.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.