Holding domestic league games abroad a cash-grab exercise

ANY FEDERATION OR association responsible for the conduct and promotion of a sport or a sporting contest would naturally aim to make it as popular and lucrative as possible, but that cannot be at the expense of the essence of the sport.

- Tushar Bhaduri

Football is the most popular sport on the planet and its biggest stars are well-known names throughout the world. At its basic level, it's a club-level game with strong allegiances. Local rivalries are the lifeblood of the game and the following that a club enjoys in the area that it comes from sustains the sport among the most enthusiastic fans. Football leagues, for almost as long as the game has been played competitively, have been contested on a home-and-away basis, with the champions being decided after months of tussle. That's what makes the decision by the Spanish and Italian leagues to hold one match this season overseas hard to comprehend.

La Liga plans to stage the Barcelona-Villarreal game in Miami on December 20, while AC Milan's game against Como could be held in Perth early next year. This has sparked some outrage not only among clubs but also supporter groups. The reasons are obvious. Playing in Miami or Perth will make a mockery of the home advantage a team is supposed to have. Big clubs have big budgets and may not think twice about travelling long distances. Even players earn frequent flyer miles on individual trips. But what about the fans who are the life source of football? How do they attend matches of clubs they have an emotional (and often financial) investment with? Who pays for their travel thousands of miles away for one game? How many of them can afford to do so? What about the increased carbon footprint? For local games, fans can often travel by road and in groups, which may not be possible in the case of expensive overseas trips.