President of Lega Pro, the organisation that runs Serie C, Francesco Ghirelli discussed the Coronavirus emergency and its effect on football in an interview in today’s paper edition of the Rome based newspaper Corriere dello Sport.
“The main issue, as Minister Spadafora, with whom we are in contact, knows well, is related to the economic sustainability of the teams. The aim is to offer clubs a useful operational support to effectively and flexibly apply the rules of the decrees, such as the ‘Cura Italia’, which contain various provisions for the world of football. The third is aimed at ‘sustainability for the reformulation of the regulations for the 20/21 season’ through the revision of the licensing system, the modification of the self-regulation code with a view to containing costs with the aim of guaranteeing the economic-financial sustainability of clubs. The fourth, labour law, focuses on the repercussions of the crisis in the management of employment relations, training sessions, ordinary layoffs, salaries, job security.”
Ghirelli discussed the work Lega Pro are doing with both the AIC and the AIAC to provide support and solidarity to players and clubs.
“We have set up a table with AIC and AIAC to share efforts with an approach based on solidarity. Finally, to be close to all 60 clubs, Lega Pro is establishing, again through PricewaterhouseCoopers TLS, a centralized service of assistance on tax, social security, labor law issues.”
He then spoke about the next steps that need to be taken during this emergency.
“The next step of the Committee will be to evaluate the economic impact that the crisis linked to Covid-19 is having and will have on our clubs. Data that we will bring to the attention, through the action coordinated by President Gravina, of Minister Spadafora, so that there is a plan of action by the government. In the last decree we entered by right, for the first time, as an integral part of the Italian productive system.”
Ghirelli explained why Lega Pro asked for a return of part of the tax credit for the clubs.
“What was behind the request of some time ago, today of enormous topicality, to return part of the tax credit to us? We used what we received to make structures, training, territorial protection for young people. The investments will produce interventions in infrastructure that will attract capital and this will allow the clubs to innovate and have places for the training of young players and players giving opportunities for a virtuous economic-financial policy and, therefore, capitalize. It means employment, job opportunities for young people with multidisciplinary skills. I’m thinking of the youth sports centre or even more so the multi-purpose stadium.”
The Lega Pro president highlighted how the request could have been blocked by the European Union.
“The resources that the tax authorities gave at the beginning will return to the tax authorities at the end and/or during the investment. Back then, it was said that there was the obstacle of the European Union because this type of intervention would have been State aid, today we can proceed.”
Finally, Ghirelli touched on how Serie C is dealing with the crisis and how important football is to the people.
“We in Serie C know that when we come out of the crisis, we will find ourselves at the request of a place, the stadium, in line with the values between men and women, of the rediscovery of social football. From this point of view, we are ahead, for some time we have been thinking about how to equip ourselves because the endemic crisis imposed it on us and because this culture is in our DNA. Soon the country will need our football.”
Serie C, like Serie A and most other leagues around Europe, has been postponed due to the Coronavirus emergency. Players, like the rest of the Italian population, are remaining at home in order to try and stop the spread of the contagion.
