Italian FA president calls for sports betting revenue to save Italian football
Gabriele Gravina wants 1% of revenue to protect clubs and organisations amid the economic turmoil caused by coronavirus
The president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has called on the Italian government to donate a share of sports betting revenue to support clubs during the coronavirus outbreak.
Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Gabriele Gravina’s proposed ‘save football’ fund would comprise 1% of sports betting revenue generated in Italy and would be used to protect professional and amateur clubs.
Italian football has been suspended for the foreseeable future across the country and the clubs’ financial positions continue to suffer as a result.
Gravina noted that the FIGC would provide some assistance but the majority of the fund should come from betting revenue.
Gravina said: “We cannot ask the government for money because we know very well that there are other priorities at the moment.
“We ask, however, for the establishment of a fund with resources from the FIGC, which will make important sacrifices right now, and resources that must come from betting.”
On the issue of how the betting revenue would be distributed, Gravina added: “There is a European Union resolution that says that copyright on betting must be protected. France already applies 1% and the same thing has been asked for by the National Basketball Association (NBA).”
Cosimo Sibilia, president of Lega Nazionale Dilettanti – the governing body for Italian amateur football – forewarned of the implications of a lack of funding at a grassroots level.
He said: “We risk losing 30% of the organisations in our world.”
Gazzetta dello Sport noted that 1% of sports betting revenue in Italy would account for €104m in 2019. Obviously, this figure would be significantly lower for 2020 given mass cancellations.