Perth’s historic AC Milan ‘match for points’ game collapses

Perth’s push to host a landmark clash between Italian football giants AC Milan and Como in February at Optus Stadium has collapsed.

The historic match-up was set to be the first European league match played for points on foreign soil, and was in October “reluctantly approved” by the continent’s governing body UEFA.

Italian soccer giants AC Milan were lined up for an historic Serie A fixture – in Perth.Credit: Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan

However, Western Australia’s proposed hosting of the Serie A showdown has not cleared final hurdles, with the sport’s global authority FIFA failing to tick it off.

It is unclear why the match has not been given final approval, but the proposal faced significant backlash from fans opposed to playing league games overseas.

AC Milan first began a search for a host in February because of the unavailability of the club’s 75,000-seat stadium, San Siro, due to the Winter Olympics.

The club had already established a strong relationship with the WA government having played pre-season friendlies in Perth, while Australia was viewed as a favourable destination with a strong fan base.

It placed Optus Stadium in the box seat for hosting rights to the watershed clash, which was scheduled to be played in the middle of an action-packed fortnight for the ground, including an Ed Sheeran concert on February 1 and AFL’s State of Origin blockbuster on February 14.

Formal announcements of the fixture’s failure are expected in coming days.

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