Urbano Cairo to the Government: “No favors for football, we ask for what we deserve”

Football is looking for concrete answers to the continuous growth in costs which, net of the good revenues, puts the sustainability of the entire system at risk. The president of Torino and RCS MediaGroup Urban Cairotogether with AC Milan’s number one Paolo Scaroni, yesterday in Rome highlighted needs and requests in the apparently most suitable place, the Fratelli d’Italia Atreju event in fact has precisely this claim: “Concrete answers to the changing world”. Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, ready to clarify where and how the government is working for the world of football. Starting from an assumption: “We want football to be recognized what it deserves, for the popular passion it gathers and because it is a formidable contributor. It is right that clubs have the answers they are looking for, we have ambitious projects that we want to materialise”.

growth decree

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The aid that football asks for from the State is different, but Cairo yesterday focused on three in particular, underlining: “We don’t ask for favours, but only what is right and what we deserve”. The Granata president is focusing on the Growth Decree and the measures regarding betting. The tax advantages that footballers enjoyed thanks to the Decree – and which allowed clubs to sign otherwise unattainable big names – were removed by the government at the beginning of 2024. Cairo explains: “That footballers and coaches are the only ones who cannot enjoy of the tax advantages granted to other workers is unfair. We are the only sector in which this opportunity for those coming from abroad does not exist. We touch on the aspects of unconstitutionality because I believe it could exist a form of discrimination”.

betting

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Abodi did not reply on this topic, while the discussion became more lively and profitable on betting. After Scaroni’s intervention (“The Dignity Decree costs us at least 100 million a year”), Cairo added: “Thanks to Italian football, 14.8 billion euros are collected, which rise to 35 in the world, numbers that they translate into very important tax revenues, around 800 million. But our sector does not have the slightest advantage from all this. Furthermore, we are the only country that prohibits direct and indirect sponsorships of these two simple things – Growth Decree and double intervention on betting – should absolutely be done to give football what in reality already belongs to football”. Abodi he totally agrees: “It is right that the organizer of an event participates in the value chain that that event produces. In the Maneuver there will certainly be a percentage of withdrawal on bets, to be understood because the financial system is evolving, but it is significant that there will be. And the finalization will take social priorities into account.” For the percentage we are talking about 0.5 but also 1%, while on the destination of the funds Abodi added: “It certainly won’t be on the plants, on which we will also intervene with the establishment of an equity fund not financed by the Maneuver. We will already give in the coming months, public support to help clubs and administrations speed up bureaucracy and lighten investments a little with an equity fund.” Returning to betting, the government is also working on the abolition of the Dignity Decree: “We are all against gambling addiction, but we must also distinguish skill from gambling, sports betting from online poker and bingo. We will soon evaluate the restoration of betting advertising, for advertising that is also educational”.

piracy

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Another topic was also addressed in yesterday’s debate: piracy. “There are many who subscribe to the so-called “pezzotto” – said Cairo – this entails a loss for broadcasters like Dazn and therefore for the football system of something like 3-400 million. The law we have is excellent, but must be applied with greater rigor”. And Scaroni: “We ask the institutions that must enforce the law to intervene. We must severely fine those who watch the matches illegally. The broadcasters lose money and consequently we lose money.” The CEO of Dazn Azzi also intervenes on this: “The legislative framework is exceptional, but we must target those who make the last click. Every day we lose almost a million euros and consequently the clubs given that with the Lega Serie A we have a agreement which provides for the division of revenues”. Minister Abodi also has a ready answer on this: “There is nothing worse than a good law that is not applied. It is not a prank of young people, there are organized crime centers that collect money through illicit betting and piracy for drugs and weapons. In the next few days with ministers Piantedosi and Nordio, the postal police and the Guardia di Finanza, we will work on an operational protocol that gives timely action and visibility to what we are doing”.