Milan vs Como in Perth Cancelled: Why Serie A’s Australian Plan Collapsed
Australian U-Turn: Milan-Como will no longer be played in Perth. Negotiations have broken down, and that’s why.
Andrea Locorotondo
Updated on 22 December 2025
Four days after Ezio Simonelli’s announcement about Milan vs Como, there is an incredible plot twist. The conditions set by the AFC prevented an agreement from being reached.
From Green Light to Full Stop: How the Perth Plan Fell Apart Overnight
“Milan-Como in Perth, Australia, on 8 February” the announcement came directly from Serie A president Ezio Simonelli, just minutes before kick-off in the Super Cup semi-final between the Rossoneri and Napoli:
Four days after, it is now almost certain that Milan-Como will not be played in Perth, anymore. The lengthy negotiations of recent weeks, which were nearing completion, have essentially collapsed. Milan and Serie A did everything they could to bring this idea to fruition, which was born out of commercial logic and a desire to promote Serie A in Australia.
Politics Over Football: Why the AFC Pulled the Plug on Milan-Como
However, the conditions set by the AFC, the Asian confederation that would have hosted the match, did not allow for an agreement to be reached. It is logical that, far beyond the sporting aspect, this is a major political issue, with diverging interests on the subject of league matches being played in another country or on another continent.
Incredibly, the outcome is surprising. Milan and Como had accepted some difficult conditions, such as the choice of an Asian referee – endorsed by Pierluigi Collina. The former italian referee had a couple of names in his mind to direct the game.
Not a No, Just Not Now: Serie A Still Dreaming of Australia
Serie A president also added: “We will accept this condition, but there are other things to sort out.” Those other things were evidently too big an obstacle. An official announcement, probably from the League, is expected shortly.
Despite this, Simonelli’s dream to have a game in place in Australia is far from being eclipsed. Serie A needs new market and new followers all over the world. However, it won’t be the case of Milan-Como.
Andrea Locorotondo
Andrea Locorotondo is an Italian sports journalist. He has been living in the UK since 2015 and he is accredited by the SJA and AIPS. In addition to his role as contributor for FootItalia, he has demonstrated his ability to effectively cover a range of positions in sports journalism. Former Sportitalia TV journalist back in 2014, he is currently employed as a data journalist for Opta and Sportsdata. He is the team leader of Italian commentators at GBVision. He collaborates with EA Sports and frequently appears as a guest on Italian radio and television shows, including RDS Serie A TV and La Fiera del Calcio, where he shares his insights as a Premier League expert.
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