High-voltage football: not just Serie A, even Serie B is now criticizing Gravina

Journalist

March 28, 2024 (changed at 09:02) – ROME

These are incandescent days for Italian football. Beyond the events of sporting justice for players and clubs and those of ordinary justice with Gravina being investigated by the Rome Prosecutor’s Office, what makes this moment full of tension are the controversies in the buildings where the future of football is decided. Today is an important day, not so much for what it will concretely bring in terms of reforms, but because it will better highlight the level of dissatisfaction of the Leagues and clubs.

ILNO OF THE SERIES a

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At 3pm in Via Allegri the long-awaited Federal Council will take place in which part of the football reform that the FIGC president Gabriele Gravina is carrying out will be voted on, in particular that for a new economic-financial sustainability. Most of the Council members seem to be satisfied, so much so that it seems practically impossible that the document – which passes with a simple majority – will not be approved. But the question is another and concerns an increasingly widespread discontent towards the management of the Federation. And it is no longer limited to Serie A alone, which continues on its own path and today intends to send a strong, even political, signal by voting against the reform. Representing it, in addition to the president of the League Lorenzo Casini, are Beppe Marotta and Claudio Lotito and everyone wants to oppose the plan. From the point of view of national licenses, the Federation had met the requests of the clubs, harmonizing the new criteria with those of UEFA, which are no less severe but do not jeopardize eligibility for the championship (something foreseen initially and which remains valid for B and Lega Pro). But for Serie A, which continues to claim greater autonomy, it is not enough. On several aspects the clubs did not feel listened to, for example non-EU citizens (we would like to remove the obligation to replace one of the two potential newcomers) or timeshares (to be allowed but with a minority share in one of the two clubs) . Beyond the specific complaints – and regardless of the economic sacrifices for sustainability that it is ready to make – it is clear that Serie A is not satisfied with how things are progressing. After all, it hasn’t been long since Casini brought out the Premier League model.

b replies

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As we were saying, the turbulence is not limited to Serie A. The last few days have been characterized by a lively exchange of letters between Gravina and the president of the Lega Serie B Mauro Balata. The story is more or less this. After meeting the League of A on Friday to talk about parachutes and contributions to the newly promoted teams, Balata calls a League meeting for Sunday (an unusual day) at the end of which, thanks to the unanimous vote of the clubs, he sends Gravina a document in which he expresses doubts about the management of relegations from A to B in light of the different criteria for national licences. Complaints that Gravina does not take well at all. He responded to Balata with a letter, also sent on Tuesday to all B companies, which opens by expressing “surprise” at “some bold statements” which “appear to constitute exclusively offensive expressions of the federal system”. He refers in particular to the League of B’s ​​hope for “transparent and objective” controls. Gravina writes: “Insinuating doubts and opacity about the federal control system undermines the credibility of the football system.” Yesterday Balata’s rejoinder defined Gravina’s letter as “definitely unusual in tone, content and method of transmission”. And again: “I feel obliged to find unacceptable methods”, also speaking of “lack of respect”. Without going into the merits of the evaluations on the points of the reform under discussion, it is clear that the tension is very high. Today Balata will not vote in favor of the plan, the doubt is between a ruling against it or an abstention.