The decision was made to avoid a scheduling conflict with the Winter Olympics opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro stadium.

However, European supporters groups have expressed concerns about the move, calling it "absurd, unaffordable, and environmentally irresponsible".

UEFA has stated that it opposes playing domestic league matches outside of their home country, but was unable to find a clear regulatory framework in FIFA's statutes to block the requests.

As a result, the UEFA Executive Committee has approved the moves on an exceptional basis.