UEFA’S opposition to the Premier League staging fixtures overseas is not likely to change, the governing body’s general secretary Gianni Infantino said yesterday.

Plans for a “39th game” to be played as far away as Asia, the US and Australia were scrapped in 2008 following widespread opposition, including from Fifa and Uefa.

The issue reared its head again, however, after Premier League clubs chairmen discussed the proposal at a recent meeting, but Infantino believes Uefa’s stance will remain the same.

“We already have some associations who play games abroad so it is part of this wish to export national football overseas,” Infantino said at the Leaders in Sport conference in London.

“We have to bear in mind though that there is a pyramid in place and that whenever these kind of things are discussed we have to act in a responsible way within the rules we’ve all agreed together.

“Let’s see what the decision of Uefa is on this. I don’t think it will change, it would have to be discussed, but I don’t think it will change.”