Uefa allowing domestic games abroad is a sad turning point, ending soccer as we’ve known it | Uefa

LSomeday, when you returned, it may be difficult to determine the exact point when football has generally lost a silhouette that freely contained its shape for a century. When his governing bodies finally release the reins to the horses. When the last line, holding aloof from self -burned sport, collapsed, and all of them could just do everything they want. When the Courtchesty Pundites were finally right, and the game was completely disappeared.

Or maybe we will find out for sure when it was: October 6, 2025, when the UEFA Executive Committee declared in an extraordinary issue That it was against the fact that the matches of the internal league played abroad – at the same time, two of them are “on an exceptional basis”. Barcelona and Villarreal will supposedly hold the home game La Liga in Miami in December. Milan and Como should play the match of the series A in Perth, Australia-all only a 20-hour flight from Italy-in February.

In his statement, UEFA made every effort not only to express his opposition to this extent, but also to blame it for it at the foot of the FIFA, whose rules said that they were “not clear and enough” to earn the refusal. UEFA said that he wanted to work with FIFA to create new rules for curbing the league playing abroad – in the same way that will not contradict the corresponding sport, the companies to promote sports, the antimonopoly costume, forced FIFA its laws. Corresponding He threw FIFA From a lawsuit without prejudices, that is, it can be discovered at any time, if something is not to satisfy the advertising company.

“Despite the fact that unfortunately, this two games will have to continue, this decision is exceptional and should not be considered as the establishment of a precedent.” UEFA President Alexander Cheferin said. It is difficult to understand how it could be true. This is not how precedents work.

The locks are open. Toothpaste was compressed from the tube. The fund, on which professional football is built, structured mainly as a series of internal chains is cracked. Any game can now theoretically play anywhere, wherever the highest Tsengga is located. As soon as the Spanish league – or any league is no longer a thing that can only be played on his native land, returns.

We have been on a long, unhappy march in this place for decades. And the forces that carried sport were included, at least, partially by American money and methods. We must be frank in this.

The President of La Liga, Javier Tebas, spent more than seven years, working to put a game in the Barca League in Miami in order to keep up with the Premier League Chaloss created with the help of American monetization. He and others did it because all football considers the United States as an ATM Without the PIN number, lure one competition after another. In these efforts, Tebas was incited Actental, an American promoter.

Clubs will now be free to pursue after income wherever they can find it. People can try to enter their way from sports – or players or fans – the best interests, but they have little chance of actually stopping something, there is so much money on the card.

Villarreal will play 18 home games this season, in the 19th year of the La Liga team. Their fans will receive one match in their city, Although they will be compensated With offers of free flights in Miami. The players of Bars and Villarreal, not to mention the players of Milan and Como, will travel much more for their internal competitions than their rivals this season. The influence of this season on cleaning the title, departure and promotion in the service is inevitable.

Many people were clear about the consequences downstream. “Real Madrid” -So-authors Unsuccessful European Super LeagueAuthors of sports Galaktiko The era, which began the financial weapons race – sounded like the incredible voice of reason here.

“The integrity of the competition requires that all matches be held in the same conditions for all teams,” the Spanish club wrote In the statement. “In a unilateral way, the change in this regime breaks the equality between the applicants, jeopardizes the legitimacy of the results and establishes an unacceptable precedent, which opens the door to the exceptions based on the interests different from strictly sports.

Spanish Association of Professional Football players was also against itField As it was A Football supporters Europe group. Like Cheferin, who said before the announcement on Monday In an interview: “Football should play in Europe, and fans should be able to watch it at home. They cannot go to Australia or the United States to see their teams. ”

Commissioner of the European Sports Union, Glenn Mikallef, in his own cryHe argued that “strong, communal clubs are the heart of a European sports model. Moving the competition abroad is not innovation, this is betrayal. ”

Ah, nevertheless. Ultimately, UEFA did not make this decision alone. The league did it. FIFA did this, agreeing to change her policy when she was Dismissed from the relevant trialThe professional ranks of football did it a long time ago, when they began to play in home -backed home -backed home -made competitions, in China and the Persian Gulf and the United States.

The one you want to blame, European football has become completely Americanized, choosing unhindered capitalism associated without a border or tradition. And now, officially, something important is lost.

• The book by Leander Schaerlaeckens about the National Football Team of the United States, Long Game, will be released in the spring of 2026. You can Pre -order it hereHe teaches the field at the University of Marista.

• Do you have an opinion on issues raised in this article? If you want to file an answer up to 300 words by e -mail, which will be considered for publication in our letters Section, please Click hereField