Major Hurdles In The Way Of Dundee Playing Spfl Fixture In Usa

[JoeCovenant]

Ruling bodies Fifa and Uefa have given a guarded reaction to Dundee hopes of playing a Premiership match against Celtic in America next year.

And it’s also emerged, despite keeping fans in the dark over their plans until eventually issuing a statement late on Tuesday, the Dens Park club have already held talks with gridiron outfit the Philadelphia Eagles about staging the game there.

Before that happens it’s clear there will be major hurdles to overcome. The reactions of Fifa and Uefa to the news were lukewarm at best.

The world ruling body have made clear no game would go ahead without the approval of American soccer authorities.

And even then they’d reserve the right to veto the project.

“In accordance with the Fifa Regulations Governing International Matches, any such match could only be played if approved by the member associations and confederations concerned,†they said in a statement.

“Further, according to article 82.4 of the Fifa Statutes, Fifa may take in any case a final decision. For the time being we have not been contacted with regard to the specific proposal you refer to and therefore we are not in a position to comment further.â€

And European governing body Uefa clearly have concerns about opening the floodgates for clubs to play domestic matches wherever they like.

They also issued a statement.

“First and foremost this is a matter for the national associations concerned and for Fifa.

“But it must be remembered that the framework of the game worldwide is based on association football and the rules and boundaries which apply.

“As a result, clubs cannot simply choose which country they want to play in. There are rules in place and procedures which need to be respected.â€

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles have confirmed they’ve been contacted by Dundee and are open to the idea of hosting a game.

And at least now Dark Blues know the story is not just speculation. After almost 24 hours of silence, they finally confirmed something was in the pipeline via a tea-time statement of their own.

“We can confirm that Dundee Football Club and Celtic Football Club have had initial discussions about the possibility of playing a fixture in the United States of America.

“The proposal is very much is in its early stages and of course the relevant approvals would be sought from the SPFL board at the appropriate time.

“As a club we are always looking to bring new ideas to the table and, should this progress, we firmly believe it will be a fantastic opportunity for Dundee, Celtic and Scottish football as a whole.

“We will be making no further comment on this matter at this time.â€

It is also increasingly clear Celtic are keen on the idea and that’s led to speculation the Hoops are following their own agenda that could lead to them play at least one league fixture a season on foreign soil.

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