Serie A chief executive officer Luigi De Siervo has publicly criticised AC Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot after the Frenchman described the decision to hold a domestic league match in Australia as “crazy” and “absurd.”
De Siervo said that in complaining about the match being staged abroad, Rabiot had forgotten that as a professional earning millions of euros, he had contractual obligations to his club, employer, and the league.
The controversy arose following league plans to play the Serie A fixture between Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, in February. The San Siro stadium will be unavailable at the time due to its role in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. The fixture relocation is intended in part to expand the reach of Italian football internationally.
Rabiot, speaking to French media while on international duty with France, declared the decision “completely crazy” and said that travelling such distances “for a match between two Italian teams in Australia” seems “truly absurd.” He also voiced concern over the physical and mental toll such long trips could take, adding: “There’s a lot of talk about schedules and player health, but this all seems truly absurd … We have to adapt, as always.”
In response, De Siervo defended the move and asserted that professional players must be mindful of their responsibilities. He said: “He should have more respect for the money he earns and offer more support to his employer, Milan, who accepted and pushed for this match being played abroad.”
De Siervo also remarked that “Rabiot forgets, like all footballers who earn millions of euros, that they are paid to carry out an activity, to play football.” His comments reflect growing frustration among league officials who feel that high-profile players sometimes undermine strategic efforts to promote Italian football abroad.
De Siervo further acknowledged that concerns about player well-being are valid and part of ongoing discussions. “Players’ health is a fundamental element; we are fighting for this to make sense,” he said. For De Siervo, although the logistical challenge of such distant travel “is complicated, but not impossible,” it represents a sacrifice that players of Rabiot’s calibre should be able to accommodate.
Milan’s involvement in pushing to stage the match abroad appears central to Serie A’s argument. De Siervo emphasised that Milan not only accepted the move but lobbied for it. In that context, he claims that Rabiot should align his views with the position of his club, even if he personally disagrees.