FIFA wants to BAN league games staged overseas after Barcelona decision

Barcelona’s La Liga clash with Villarreal in December is set to make history as the first league game to be played abroad, but it appears that the game’s organisers are not too pleased

FIFA are attempting to BAN overseas games following UEFA’s landmark approval of Barcelona’s clash with Villarreal. It has been announced that the clash between the La Liga rivals will become the league’s first-ever to be played on foreign soil.

The match – which will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami – was ‘reluctantly’ approved by UEFA. European football’s governing body named ‘relevant FIFA regulatory framework’ as a reason for the game being pushed through.

And it appears that FIFA are working on closing that particular loophole having been left unhappy with the announcement. According to The Guardian, world football’s organisers have begun the process of redrafting their regulations on staging domestic league games abroad.

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They are seeking legal advice over a potential ban and it is hoped that a redraft of their rulebook could potentially be pushed through early next year. The last revision of the rules happened in 2014 when it was considered that matches on foreign soil was not a particularly pressing issue.

As it stands, FIFA can block what they refer to as ‘international matches’ but only if they follow the correct process. Matches should at first be approved by the relevant football associations and the respective confederations where the game will be played.

La Liga have already given their approval, with the decision now resting with US Soccer Federation and Concacaf.

Speaking on the issue recently, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “We have a structure whereby we have games at national level, at continental level, and then at global level. And this is a structure that made football the number one sport in the world. If we want to break this structure, we take a big risk.

“If we want to regulate it, then you know, we have to look into it. I have my personal opinion, which I will not share with you right now, but I’ve seen that Uefa has approved it.

“It has to go to Concacaf as well to approve this [the La Liga game in Miami]. I don’t know if AFC has approved the game in Australia, all the stakeholders, and then it will come to Fifa for its approval.

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“But that’s one game – I think we need a reflection which is more global on what do we want to do? Do we want everyone to play everywhere and do whatever he wants? It’s fine. Fifa is pretty strong in this respect.

“Or do we want to have a regulated system which takes into account the interests of everyone at national level, continental level and club level, but also the legitimacy of everyone to organise events and to regulate the sport in their own country (or) continent?”

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