AC Milan have announced that they will be back in Australia over the summer, taking on Perth Glory as part of their preseason campaign.
As the official website confirms, Milan are heading back to Western Australia as part of preparations for the 2025-26 season, and they will play a game against Perth Glory at HBF Park on Thursday, 31 July.
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It will mark the final stop on the Rossoneri’s Asia-Pacific Tour this summer, which also includes fixtures against Premier League sides Arsenal in Singapore and Liverpool in Hong Kong.
Milan face off against Perth Glory, one of Australia’s most established and decorated football clubs who compete in the A-League, which is the top division in the Great Southern Land.
The Diavolo have already made a visit to the city and it was last year, as Milan faced AS Roma at Optus Stadium in front of over 56,000 spectators, marking the first-ever encounter between two Serie A teams on Australian soil.
The statement continues: “Over the years, AC Milan has maintained a robust bond with the country, boasting a passionate following of over 2 million fans nationwide, and several active Fan Clubs in pivotal cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide.
“Across the broader Asia-Pacific region, AC Milan proudly stands as the most-followed Italian football club, with a fanbase that has grown significantly in the past few years (by over 20 million since 2022) – a testament to the Club’s enduring global appeal and dynamic engagement strategy.
“The Club’s connection to Australia extends beyond the pitch and has been reinforced over time through social impact initiatives led by Fondazione Milan, the Rossoneri’s official charity.
“With the announcement of the Perth fixture, AC Milan completes the picture of its Pre-Season Tour 2025, which will see the Rossoneri travel across Singapore, Hong Kong and Western Australia.
“The Tour not only reaffirms the Club’s global vision but also underscores its commitment to connection with its passionate international fanbase, strengthen ties with local stakeholders, drive commercial growth and reinforce AC Milan’s brand strength on a global scale.”
“and several active Fan Clubs in pivotal cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide.”
Which are all thousands of kilometres from Perth.
🤦♂️
Clearly this is being done again because the Western Australian state government is paying them a lot of money to come.
So that all those east coast Australian fans will fly to Perth and see them. It’s about domestic tourism here in Australia.
If Milan were really doing this to support their Australian supporters, then they would visit Sydney or Melbourne where most if the Italian community is.
The only advantage of going to Perth is that they can do a direct long haul flight back to Rome.
I think you would be surprised by the number of Italians in WA. Fremantle was the first port that italian imigrants coming by boat disembarked at.
Also, Perth Glory were actually established as Perth Italia before Football Australia banned ethnic based names in the early 90’s in the NSL (National Soccer League) before the A-League was established
The stadium they are using this time is not exactly a cathedral.
It only holds 20 000 people. Very similar to Atalanta’s Gewiss stadium in size and style.
It is at least a rectangular stadium.