Adrien Rabiot told to ‘respect money he earns’ after criticism of Australia plan

AC Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot has been told to “respect the money he earns” by Serie A’s chief executive after the Frenchman described the idea of playing a match against Como in Australia as “totally crazy”.

The match in Perth is set to take place in February, with UEFA reluctantly giving its approval on Monday.

Rabiot told French newspaper Le Figaro: “I was surprised when I learned that AC Milan will be playing a Serie A match against Como… in Australia!

We are opposed to domestic league matches being played abroad.

Two requests have been approved on an exceptional basis due to regulatory gaps at global level.

We are committed to anchoring the integrity of domestic competitions and fans’ perspectives in forthcoming FIFA rules.

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“It’s totally crazy. But these are economic agreements to give the league more visibility, things that are beyond us. There’s a lot of talk about schedules and player health, and this all seems truly absurd.

“It’s crazy to travel so many miles for a match between two Italian teams in Australia. We have to adapt, as always.”

Serie A chief executive Luigi De Siervo hit back at Rabiot on Wednesday.

#Rabiot definisce "completamente folle" far giocare #MilanComo a Perth. Arriva la dura risposta di Luigi De Siervo, Ad della Lega #SerieA,

🎙️"Ha ragione #Rabiot, che decidiamo sopra di lui. Ma Rabiot si scorda, come tutti i giocatori che guadagnano milioni di euro, che sono… pic.twitter.com/m5km7ocbV2

— calciomercato.it (@calciomercatoit) October 8, 2025

“Rabiot is right, we decide for him. He forgets that he is paid millions of euros to do a job – play football,” De Siervo said in quotes reported in the Italian media.

“He should respect the money he earns, and accept the wishes of his employer, Milan, who pushed to play this match abroad.”

Villarreal and Barcelona are also preparing to play a LaLiga match in Miami in December.

UEFA insists these matches have been given “exceptional” approval and that the decision to do so does not set a precedent.