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A thrilling friendly match with AC Milan on Australian soil will officially close AS Roma’s season. The teams will face each other on Friday, May 31 at Optus Stadium in an exclusive match for Australia and Asia.
This is the first time that two Serie A clubs will face each other on this continent, and since both teams have a strong Australian fan base, thousands of visitors from other states are expected to travel to Perth to watch this eye-catching match big game in a stadium capable of holding up to 65,000 spectators.
AS Roma will fly to Australia for the third time in its history. The first was in 1966, staying over a month to play eight friendly matches, including one in Perth itself. The second was in 2015, when the Giallorossi played in Melbourne two test matches against Real Madrid and Manchester City.
During the team’s stay in Perth, it will be possible to attend a training session and participate in experiences that will engage the local fan community.
“We are honored to have been chosen together with AC Milan to represent the excellence of Italian soccer in Australia”, commented Lina Souloukou, CEO and General Manager of AS Roma. “We are aware that we enjoy a huge following in Oceania and look forward to being able to give Australian fans the opportunity to see our champions up close. This friendly match confirms the prominent position that our Club occupies permanently in the European and world football scene and the strong interest it is able to attract at all latitudes.”
Importantly, the match coincides with Western Australia Day celebrations (June 3) and the Italian Republic Day (June 2), meaning fans will be treated to an extravaganza with activations and community events to be held across the long weekend.
Western Australia thus continues to prove itself as a venue for major soccer events, following the Australian women’s national team’s record-breaking games in October for Asian Cup qualifiers, July’s London derby with English Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, and five FIFA Women’s World Cup matches across July and August 2023.
“Western Australia continues to go from strength to strength as a host of international sporting events, as we add yet another blockbuster to our events calendar”, commented The Premier of Western Australia, Roger Cook. “Hosting a match between Roma and Milan here in Perth is a fantastic opportunity for us to strengthen our ties with Italy and invite football fans from our key tourism markets to come and explore our beautiful, diverse state as part of a trip here to see this football match. International sporting events like this also put eyes across the world on our city and award-winning facilities like Optus Stadium, as viewers tune in to watch the broadcast, inspiring them to book a trip here in the future.”
Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti said: “We’re very excited to be hosting yet another unmissable football match and bringing two giants of Italian football – AS Roma and AC Milan – to our world-class Optus Stadium. “These two clubs are known for producing some incredible sporting spectacles. Hosting them here will boost our profile both interstate and across Italy and Continental Europe, as we showcase our vibrant city and the incredible experiences we have on offer for travelers. Milan and Roma each have a strong following in Australia, and we expect to see thousands of out-of-state fans travel to Perth from all over the country to watch the action unfold in person.”
“Hosting high-profile sporting matches like this only strengthens WA’s reputation as one of the sporting capitals of the southern hemisphere”, commented the Sport and Recreation Minister, David Templeman. “We know how much the game has grown in popularity, particularly over the past 12 months, and it’s fantastic to yet again be hosting world-class international football right here in Perth.”
