Serie A sets 2-year timeframe to host league games overseas with USA seeming to be the most likely destination.
Serie A wants to stage first overseas fixture in the US within two years.
Italian clubs playing a regular-season match in the United States could happen in one to two years, according to a senior Serie A executive, but the league still has a ways to go before it can match the Premier League’s level of popularity in the country.
Michele Ciccarese, the director of commercial and marketing for Serie A, reaffirmed Charlie Stillitano, the managing director for the USA, who had previously stated that the league aimed to become the first foreign league to hold a regular-season match in the United States. At the league’s American offices in New York, Ciccarese was standing next to Serie A president Ezio Simonelli and addressing reporters and partners.
“Yes, we would love to do it as the president said; we are working in order to potentially do it, but there are barriers that we need to overcome,” Ciccarese told reporters, citing scheduling concerns such as the clubs’ involvement in midweek European competitions and the potential strain on players. “Who knows, maybe in a window of one to two years potentially we will see the league playing [in the US] if the approvals come.”
Last year, the American promotions company Relevent Sports decided to end its long-running lawsuit against Fifa over the global federation’s rule prohibiting domestic leagues from playing regular-season matches outside of their home territories, formally opening the way for Serie A to host league games outside of Italy. Fifa consented to withdraw that rule after being dismissed from the lawsuit. The idea of exporting games is opposed by a number of fan groups and clubs.
“It’s always a race to try to be the trendsetter because then the followers come and the trendsetter is who benefits,” Ciccarese said. “It should be done in a way that makes sense for the club without forgetting the fans … you cannot play a Milano derby in America because the fans in Italy will get very upset. That game has a big meaning in Italy. So we have to play in a way that is respectful of our audience.”
Speaking on Serie A’s attempts to build its brand in the US, Ciccarese acknowledged that the Premier League had a significant advantage in this regard and was well-established in the nation’s football culture.
He remarked, “The Premier League did an amazing job, especially when we were at the top,” alluding to Serie A’s peak years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Premier League signed its first major US TV contracts around that time with ESPN and Fox Sports. until 2013, it struck a historic contract with NBC Sports, which was extended until 2022 for an estimated $450 million per season. It is commonly believed that NBC’s coverage and willingness to air its games nationally were crucial.
“[The Premier League] started really promoting it and creating the product abroad, so we came a little bit late,” Ciccarese said. “We took a good slip, let’s say like that. But now we want to go fast.”