The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Serie A are locked in a power struggle as FIGC President Gabriele Gravina moves forward with his proposed statutory changes, disregarding the requests of Italy’s top football league.
La Gazzetta dello Sport report how Gravina has submitted his proposal to modify the FIGC statute, which will be voted on in Monday’s assembly, without incorporating the changes demanded by Serie A. The league, led by President Lorenzo Casini, had previously expressed concerns about representation and autonomy in the new structure.
Serie A argues that four council members are insufficient to represent their interests, insisting on having at least a majority among professional leagues. The league also seeks greater autonomy in organizing its competitions and a binding say in matters that exclusively affect Serie A.
Gravina’s proposal acknowledges “full autonomy of the Leagues in organizing their competitions,” but maintains the Federal Council’s power to coordinate competitive activities and deliberate on the organization of championships, in agreement with the Leagues. It also grants Serie A a “right of agreement” on federal regulations that exclusively concern it.
However, Serie A views this as insufficient, believing it maintains the previous system without recognizing true autonomy. In response, the league is considering countermeasures, including a possible legal challenge to the legitimacy of the November 4 assembly.
Aurelio De Laurentiis, Napoli’s president, emphasized Serie A’s financial contributions to Italian football, stating, “Serie A contributes to the federal system by financing Italian football. This happens with 120 million euros annually, equal to 10% of all its audiovisual rights income.”
