The Senate Culture Committee said yes to the Fratelli d'Italia resolution, linked to the assigned matter "Prospects for the reform of Italian football" and its analysis was scheduled for session fo March, the 5th.
This act was eagerly awaited, not only for the measures for the reform itself, but also for the proposal to reintroduce indirect gaming advertising with cash winning, cancelled by the Dignity decree in 2018, to find new resources to support football.
The deal also includes the allocation of an annual fee of the proceeds from sports betting to event organizers (at least 1 percent), for investments in stadiums, both old and new ones, and a further fee to the football system for the pursuit of its institutional goals and for the financing of specific social and sports projects, and training of young people within sports clubs, provided that it is tied to the financing of interventions in favor of youth sectors, sports facilities and women's football.
The opposition is firnly against the approval of the resolution, especially the Movimento 5 stelle, which in the last few hours organized a conference in the Senate to reiterate it.
The approval to the return of indirect gaming advertising has instead received various endorsements in recent weeks: from that of the Sports Minister, Andrea Abodi, to the president of the Federazione italiana gioco calcio, Gabriele Gravina, who repeated it several times during his previous proxy, and also in the program presented during the recent elections that confirmed him in the same role.
With the approval of the Fratelli d'Italia's resolution, and after the final approval in Parliament, the process for a revision of the Dignity decree by the Government could begin, through a new decree. The contents will be assessed after a series of meetings scheduled in the coming days between the Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Maurizio Leo, the Sports Minister Andrea Abodi and the President of the Serie A League, Ezio Simonelli.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE RESOLUTION AND THE SPEECHES - Today, the presentation of the resolution on the prospects for football reform was also held, at the initiative of the Lega senator Roberto Marti, president of the Culture commission.
Paolo Marcheschi (FdI), who signed the resolution, is the first to talk. "We have perceived the cry coming from the world of football, which has recently highlighted many critical issues, including economic results, with over 4 thousand billion in losses. Hence, the decision to wonder in the commission for an act that would look at the problems and what politics could have done to solve them.
We, as political forces, have put together almost 80, 90 proposals, some of which are in conflict with each other. We can deliver to the attending ministers (Andrea Abodi and Matteo Salvini, Ed.) a policy act that boasts almost unanimous consent and offers a more complete view".
Among the key points discussed, Marcheschi also highlights the attention "for the renovation and construction of new stadiums for 2032, as part of a national infrastructure plan", with the activation of a special control room.
And here is the paragraph on "a highly criticized issue" for Marcheschi: "We all agree in fighting pathological gaming, but we must take note of what has worked and what has not in the Dignity decree, not only it has not reduced gambling addiction, but it has produced more illegal betting, which does not leave a single euro to the football sector. So, we have added a fee, for which we ask bettors for money to invest in football, also for projects to fight gambling addiction, the development of women's football and youth teams".
In particular, in the slide presented at the conference it is highlighted that it is "necessary to carry out a serious review of the law and find more effective measures to fight against the increase of gambling addiction and the illegal growth of the betting system, also recovering resources. Then, speaking of the former Totocalcio fee, it is appropriate to allocate part of the proceeds from sports games and sports betting to assets for the construction of new stadiums and the modernization of existing ones (1 percent), to create assets for the strengthening of measures to oppose gambling addiction and social and anti-discrimination projects (a prevalent fee), to provide a fee for the organizers of the events on which bets are placed.
Senator Andrea Paganella (Lega) in his speech highlights that what was presented today "is the result of a year of work, an act that is born in Parliament and will then lead to a government initiative, to solve football's problems in a structural and infrastructural way, given the ancientness of our stadiums, many of which were built decades ago".
The other important subject brought forward by the League, Paganella points out, "is that of youth teams, which are also essential for the planning of the Italian national team", which must be brought back "to the importance and strength that they deserve, to give new life to the Italian national team". The assets must therefore be "given to infrastructure and youth teams".
Minister Abodi for his part comments: "We worked together, respecting the roles; the work presented is a map of the path that is almost a mirror of the Government agenda. The 19 points of the resolution will find a response in a short time from the Government, given that for many months we have spoken about many issues and that this second part of the legislature must represent the implementation of good wishes".
Talking about the renovation of the stadiums, the Sport Minister then talks about the establishment of a commissioner structure, with a commissioner and with the mayors as sub-commissioners, a fact that is associated with the financial instruments to guarantee its sustainability.
The minister then announces: "We will intervene as a Government with some implementing decrees, for example in the regulation of apprenticeship, in training bonuses for amateur sports clubs that have invested, which must return to an appropriate level. We also want to guarantee protection for professional clubs for investments made in youth sectors, for women's football, the subject of an amendment reformulated by the Government: we supported it by reiterating a measure that had exhausted its cycle, facilitating the work of the clubs that believed in it.
Furthermore, we are working with ministers Nordio and Piantedosi to oppose illegal betting, audiovisual piracy, criminal infiltration in the supporters and in the football sector in general".
About the return of indirect gambling advertising, Abodi states: "I express respect for the positions of others, I think that we all want to oppose gambling addiction as a social phenomenon, but restoring advertising allows us to better communicate legal gaming, promote responsible gaming, ensure the traceability of gaming. There is a commitment to invest part of the resources just to oppose gambling addiction; in the same way, I believe that the right to bet is the right award for operators. I hope that in the continuation of the discussion we can re-establish a less ideological method. By the end of the month, we want to respond to the requests of the commission to complete an essential reform.
The Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini ends the conference saying his priorities: "To guarantee safer stadiums, to have fewer foreigners on the field, to invest in youth teams to strengthen the national team, following the example of what the Spanish Liga is doing, which has more than double the number of players who play in Serie A, who grew up in youth teams. I thank the commission for its work, because it gives us a positive and structured boost".