Serie A CEO: The purpose of running overseas leagues is for international influence, and the sacrifice is worth it.

Hupu, October 28th: ​​Serie A CEO DeSilvo accepted an interview with the "Locker Room Chronicle" website, and talked about the topic that the 24th round of Serie A Milan vs. Como may be scheduled to be held in Perth, Australia.

How did the idea of ​​arranging the competition overseas come about? Many people have raised objections to this...

"If you ask a player if he is willing to fly 20 hours to play a game, he will definitely say that this is obviously crazy. If you ask a coach if he is willing to do this when competing for the league title or Champions League qualification, he will also find it difficult to accept. If you ask the fans if they are willing. Giving up the opportunity to go to the stadium to watch the game, their answer is also no. "

"But the problem is that we have to decide whether we want eggs today or hens tomorrow. Whoever wants to build a sports brand must think from a long-term perspective of 5 to 10 years. We must do what the American Professional League has already done. As early as 1990, the NBA held its first overseas game in Tokyo, and the NFL brought the game to Mexico City in 2005, with an audience of 100,000. "

"This is the path - if we want to become a major league, we must learn to pursue international influence. If we want to be an international league, we have to have the courage to make unpopular choices that don't just cater to the sentiments of fans or players, we have to think longer term and take risks.

"As you know, the first leg of the 1965 Giro d'Italia was held abroad. The Tour de France - that country's iconic race - also started in Florence last year. AC Milan realized this earlier than others because it is the most well-known Italian team in the world. Only one of the 380 games in Serie A is played overseas. This is almost a symbolic sacrifice - only 0.0026% of our games throughout the season, but it allows one of our games to be played on the other side of the world. "

Did all clubs agree at the league meeting?

"It's not that simple. To hold an official match abroad requires authorization from multiple parties: Serie A has approved the plan and has the consent of all 20 clubs. We are now awaiting approval from the AFC and then a final decision from FIFA President Infantino. "

Will the conflict between FIFA and UEFA hinder this project?

"No one wants us to play this game, neither FIFA nor UEFA, so our situation becomes more difficult. But we are people who respect the rules and we also believe we have the right to do so. It is actually very difficult for these institutions to find a sound technical reason to say 'no'. As in the case of Spain, they used delaying tactics and kept delaying the event, making it impossible to take place. This is a risk that we also have to face, but we have to persevere in the right way. We think we can do it and it's an advantage for our league. This is an opportunity for the entire Italian system. "

Why choose Australia?

"Because Australia is the most practical choice, they gave an offer with a certain weight. With the current club unanimously agreeing, this decision actually stems from Milan's ideas and is also a strategic choice. When we went to Saudi Arabia for the Super Cup there was a lot of criticism, but now people see it as something to be proud of because now all the competitions are vying to be invited to play there because of the huge revenue. "

"But we did not go to Australia for money, this must be clarified. Of course we would get some financial reward to make up for the gap in ticket revenue when the San Siro was closed, but that was not the core motivation. To say we went to Australia for the money is wrong and an exaggeration. We traveled to Australia because there is a passionate Italian diaspora there who are as passionate as the die-hard Milan fans in the South Stand. For them, being able to see Milan games in person is a way to bridge the distance and time difference, and it is also an emotional continuation. "

"For Milan, playing in Australia is an honorable opportunity. The club has traveled to Perth twice in the past, with pre-season just concluded this summer further cementing that connection. This opportunity actually arose following that event and was facilitated through the Western Australian Government. Another detail worth mentioning is that this offer is not just for Milan, but also for Inter Milan, because the organizers hope to invite both Milan teams to participate in order to coincide with the special period when the San Siro Stadium is about to close. However, Inter Milan declined this opportunity due to organizational reasons, while AC Milan enthusiastically accepted the invitation and expressed its hope to further advance. "

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