Sports Federations Unite Against Government Control in Abodi’s New Reform

May 14, 2024

Minister for Sports and Youth, Andrea Abodi’s intention to establish a government authority for financial oversight in professional sports has met with significant opposition.
The draft of the reform sparked a unanimous negative reaction from Serie A presidents and leaders of Italian basketball.

Unanimous Disapproval of the Abodi Reform in Sports

Minister Abodi’s reform united leaders from Coni, FIGC, Lega Serie A, Federbasket, and Lega Basket under a common cause.

Basketball’s rare alignment with football, despite feeling secondary for years, highlights the unique impact of Minister Abodi’s reform.

United by shared concerns, the federations unanimously voted against increasing government interference, which risks sports institutions’ traditional autonomy.

UEFA and FIFA have also expressed several concerns, even sending a letter on May 8th requesting urgent explanations.

Clarifications from Minister Abodi

However, Abodi states that the intent is to objectively assess the financial health of heavily indebted clubs.

The goal is to promote a more rigorous and timely regulatory framework to modernize financial management.

He has remarked:

Reading newspapers from the 60s, it seems nothing has changed. I am told that football has always been this way, and I am trying to explain that it should not be. Since football is a heritage of all, I believe there is a shared interest, starting from the fans, for transparency to ensure fair competition.

A Complete Redo?

After discussions with soccer and basketball leaders, Minister Abodi will present a revised text of the reform on May 20th.

Contrary to initial assumptions, the oversight agency will no longer be part of the Government but will be independent.

However, the appointments will still be political, remaining a significant and quite controversial issue.

If not managed correctly, they could lead to perceptions of bias or excessive state intervention, negatively influencing the international opinion regarding the autonomy of Italian sports.

Additionally, the Minister has indicated that he will include the reform in a broader sports decree and present it to the Council of Ministers at the end of the month.

Negotiations and Future Prospects for Italian Sports

Despite the latest developments, significant opposition persists, as evidenced by the words of Gabriele Gravina (FIGC):

This new reality is in stark contrast with the absolute prohibition of political interference in the regulations and activities of the FIGC, mandated by FIFA Statutes Articles 14 and 15, which all federations must adhere to, under penalty of possible sanctions.

Lorenzo Casini (Lega Serie A) shares this view:

Serie A remains opposed to the government agency as it is a political interference, and the risks of interferences are always negative, but Minister Abodi has given us time to discuss corrections. He has informed us that the rule will be modified and has given us time to discuss and propose some adjustments. As a League, we will discuss this in the assembly on May 15th. Discussions with UEFA and FIFA are ongoing, but that is the responsibility of the federal president.

Minister Abodi’s reform could have significant future implications for the professional sports sector in Italy.

The implementation process requires careful management to prevent conflicts with international regulators and ensure a balance between oversight and autonomy.

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