Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Lega Serie A, recently spoke at the Social Football Summit held at the Stadio Olimpico, addressing several key issues facing Italian football. His comments shed light on the league’s position relative to the Premier League, stadium infrastructure challenges, and the controversial decision to host the Supercoppa in Saudi Arabia.
De Siervo acknowledged the current gap between Serie A and the Premier League, stating, “The Premier League was behind Serie A in past years, but as a system, when we were at the top, we didn’t invest in foreign markets or in creating a strong league. Now we have reactivated the system, but we’re behind.”
He identified stadium infrastructure as the primary hurdle in competing with the Premier League. “Stadiums are the real gap with the Premier League,” De Siervo explained. “Fortunately, we’re starting to change. The audience is there, the facilities are always full, and I remain optimistic for the future because the major groundwork has been laid to catch up with the Premier League. Now we need to implement the projects and try to make up ground.”
Addressing the controversial decision to host the Supercoppa in Saudi Arabia, De Siervo drew parallels with other major sports leagues: “NBA and NFL have always played in Europe and around the world. They do it successfully, and it pays off. It’s not clear why it becomes a scandal if Serie A does the same.”
He emphasized that the league’s focus is on expanding its fan base rather than engaging in politics. “We don’t do politics; we try to engage new fans. And where has the world opened up? In the Middle East,” De Siervo concluded.
