{"id":198858,"date":"2025-10-08T22:43:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T22:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/198858\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T22:43:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T22:43:07","slug":"ac-milan-star-adrien-rabiot-says-plan-to-play-serie-a-match-in-perth-is-truly-absurd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/198858\/","title":{"rendered":"AC Milan star Adrien Rabiot says plan to play Serie A match in Perth is ‘truly absurd’"},"content":{"rendered":"

AC Milan star Adrien Rabiot has condemned the idea of his club playing a Serie A match in Australia as “totally crazy” and “truly absurd”, prompting the league’s chief to scold the French international.<\/p>\n

The decision to play a league match between Milan and Como in Perth in February, one reluctantly agreed to by European football’s governing body UEFA<\/a>, had already prompted plenty of criticism from fan groups, but the critique from Milan’s own player caused more consternation in Italy on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

“I was surprised when I learned that AC Milan will be playing a Serie A match against Como in Australia,” Rabiot, the Milan midfielder, told French newspaper Le Figaro.<\/p>\n

“It’s totally crazy. But these are economic agreements to give the league more visibility, things that are beyond us. There’s a lot of talk about schedules and player health, and this all seems truly absurd.<\/p>\n

“It’s crazy to travel so many miles for a match between two Italian teams in Australia. We have to adapt, as always.”<\/p>\n

The 30-year-old’s outspoken criticism didn’t go down well with Serie A chief executive Luigi De Siervo.<\/p>\n

“Rabiot is right, we decide for him,” De Siervo told Italian media.<\/p>\n

Serie A game in Perth would have been laughable 10 years ago<\/a><\/p>\n

Italian heavyweights AC Milan look set to play a match, for actual Serie A points, in Perth. What will the state government pay to lure them here, and why are some football supporters unhappy?<\/p>\n

“He forgets that he is paid millions of euros to do a job \u2014 play football. He should respect the money he earns, and accept the wishes of his employer, Milan, who pushed to play this match abroad.”<\/p>\n

The continued fallout came as LaLiga confirmed on Wednesday that Villarreal and Barcelona will also play a regular-season league match in the United States on December 20 in Miami.<\/p>\n

UEFA remains adamant these matches have been given “exceptional” approval and says the decision does not set a precedent.<\/p>\n

“This match is a historic step that takes LaLiga and Spanish football to an all-new level,” Spanish league president Javier Tebas said in a statement.<\/p>\n

He and the league had been pushing for a regular-season game abroad for some time, with the first attempt coming in 2018 with a match between Barcelona and Girona, but the idea was dismissed after criticism from some players, fans and clubs.<\/p>\n

Its subsequent attempts to play there also failed but the plan moved forward this time after UEFA gave consent for the game despite opposition from fan groups across the continent.<\/p>\n

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