Naples boss with an all-round blow
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The eccentric president of SSC Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, once again didn’t mince his words in an interview with “The Athletic”. The 76-year-old creates a scenario in which football needs to be fundamentally reformed – economically, structurally and even in its rules of the game. His statements paint a picture of a system that, in his view, is out of balance. Transfermarkt gives an overview.
Power relations in football: clubs at a disadvantage
The focus of his criticism is the distribution of revenue in international football. De Laurentiis sees the major associations such as FIFA and UEFA as the main beneficiaries of a system that is supported by the clubs. “They earn too much money – the revenue should belong to the clubs,” he says, fundamentally questioning the current structure. For the Italian it is clear: the clubs bear the economic risk, provide the players and invest in their development – while the associations generate the greatest revenue. Accordingly, he is calling for clubs to participate more financially in international competitions.
Official UEFA figures provide information about the distribution of revenue: in the 2023/24 season, for example, around 2.8 billion euros were distributed to participating clubs from European club competitions (2.1 billion Champions League, 475.6 million Europa League, 240.4 million Conference League). For the current cycle, the total turnover of the competitions is around 4.4 billion euros, Of which around 3.3 billion goes directly to clubs as prize money. At the same time, part remains with UEFA itself or flows into other areas: In the 2024/25 financial year, UEFA generated a total of over 5 billion euros, of which 3.9 billion euros were distributed to clubs and associations. This corresponds to around 78 percent of revenue, while the rest is used for organization, administration and development programs.
Overloaded game calendar: “This destroys our players”
Another central point of his analysis is the increasing burden on professionals due to more and more missions. “Too many games – that destroys our players,” de Laurentiis clearly criticizes. He calls for a comprehensive reform of the calendar, which includes, among other things, the following points: a reduction in the total number of games, clearly structured time windows for international matches and the abolition of less relevant competitions. In doing so, he takes up a debate that has been increasingly carried out by coaches, players and associations in recent years. The 2024 European champion and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri became the spokesman and even spoke of a players’ strike. However, nothing has really happened since then.
De Laurentiis demands: fewer teams, more quality
De Laurentiis also sees a significant need for reform at the national level. For Serie A, he is bringing the league into play. “If we go back to 16 teams, we could give our players rest,” he argues. The current structure with 20 teams is inefficient and contributes to overload. In his view, fewer games would not only protect the players, but also increase the quality of the competition.
National teams: Clubs should be compensated
The Napoli president is particularly critical of how he treats national players. Clubs would make their professionals available without being adequately compensated. “If they want our players, they have to pay for it,” demands de Laurentiis. Specifically, he proposes mandatory compensation payments for missions as well as comprehensive insurance models in the event of injuries. In doing so, he wants to distribute the economic burden more fairly between clubs and associations.
Revolution in the rules of the game: net playing time instead of 90 minutes
His suggestions for changing the game itself go furthest. De Laurentiis advocates a move away from the classic time model in football. “You could divide the two halves into 25 minutes – with effective playing time,” he explains and sharply criticizes the current practice of added time: “Today the referees decide how much extra time is played – there is a certain anarchy.” In his view, a model with a stopped clock should ensure more fairness, transparency and attractiveness – especially for younger fans.
De Laurentiis also questions the governance structures within the clubs. In his view, management positions should not primarily be filled by former players. “You don’t need an ex-player – it has to be someone who can speak politically,” he says. What is required is greater professionalization of the management level with economic and political competence.
De Laurentiis between justified criticism and radical vision
Many of the problems mentioned have long been recognized in international football, at least by some players. The burden of the match calendar, for example, is a regular topic at FIFA and UEFA, as well as among players’ unions and in public reporting and debate. Issues of insurance and compensation for national team appearances have also been discussed for years. However, his further ideas are much more radical, including the fundamental redistribution of income at the expense of FIFA and UEFA, the introduction of a net playing time or far-reaching structural changes to the leagues.
While many initiatives rely on gradual changes, he calls for a comprehensive reorganization of the system. The Italian paints a picture of a football that, in his view, has strayed too far from its economic and sporting fundamentals. His answers to this are radical. Whether this vision can become reality is at least questionable – but it provides material for the fundamental debates.
