Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta believes that the decision to scrap the Growth Decree for football will do “irreparable damage.”
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, via FCInterNews, the Nerazzurri executive hit out at the prospective change to regulations in Italian football.
At the start of 2024, the Italian government will get rid of the Growth Decree tax benefits in the football industry.
The policy has allowed Italian football clubs to save on the gross wages of players who arrive from foreign leagues.
Serie A clubs such as Inter have been able to slash the taxes they’ve paid on the wages of some big name players by 50%.
This has meant that even with the financial restrictions that the Nerazzurri and other Italian clubs have faced, they have been able to offer attractive deals to some top stars from outside of Serie A.
That in turn has certainly been a benefit to the league as a whole.
Marotta Warns Of “Irreparable Damage” As Italian Government Scraps Growth Decree For Football
Clubs in the Italian top flight have enjoyed the Growth Drecree as a leg up to strengthen their squads.
But all that is set to change. The Italian government will cease to apply the Growth Decree to football.
And Inter CEO Marotta feels great disappointment with that decision.
The executive noted that “We had been climbing the rankings in Europe, with three teams in major finals last season and two in the Club World Cup.”
“Now, this abolition represents an own-goal for the country in terms of football and the economy,” he continued.
“The tax relief that the policy offered facilitated the arrival into the country of players we were clearly interested in,” Marotta said.
“Now this decision represents a setback. It will undoubtedly have an effect on the product and on the activities of clubs.”
Marotta said that “We will have to find measures to mitigate this.”
“The damage will be irreparable.,” the Inter CEO predicted. “Competitiveness in Europe will be affected. As will domestic football.”
