(Reuters) -Italy's Serie A and Spain's LaLiga have hit back at a European Union commissioner who branded their plans to stage domestic matches outside as a "betrayal" of the fans.
Serie A is planning to stage a match between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, next February while LaLiga hopes to move Villarreal's game against Barcelona to Miami in December.
"I'm deeply disappointed by proposals to stage domestic league matches outside Europe," EU Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef wrote on social media on Wednesday.
"To me it's clear: European competitions must be played in Europe. European football must stay in Europe.
"I believe that clubs owe most of their success to their loyal fans & local communities ... moving competitions abroad isn't innovation, it's betrayal."
In a statement, Serie A said it was "astonished" by Micallef's remarks, adding he underestimated "the complexity and strategic value of initiatives aimed at promoting Italian football on a global scale".
"To speak of betrayal for a single match, out of a total of 380 Serie A matches, seems an excessive position, which risks fuelling a populist debate," the statement continued.
"Taking a match abroad does not mean exporting the championship, but rather introducing new audiences to the excellence of Italian football.
"In return for a small sacrifice required of the Milan and Como fans, (they) will ... benefit in terms of increased visibility and popularity worldwide."
LaLiga President Javier Tebas said there were "thousands of fans, including Europeans" around the world deserved to see their teams play live.
"I understand the concern, but we need to put things into perspective: we are talking about one match out of 380," Tebas wrote on X.
"I am surprised that there is not as much alarm about projects such as the NBA-FIBA European league — which do fundamentally disrupt the European sports model — or about piracy, which is ruining many professional competitions."
The Italian football federation and Spanish FA have already given their leagues the green light but both proposed matches still require approval from UEFA and FIFA.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney and Fernando Kallás in Madrid, editing by Peter Rutherford)
