The battle continues within the Lega Serie A, as Lazio President Claudio Lotito is working on a government amendment to ease the financial pressure on clubs, much to the annoyance of some teams.
The most recent Lega Serie A meeting descended into chaos when Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis reportedly spent 40 minutes berating the chief over plans to spread out the payment of taxes over instalments.
This was seen by some, above all Napoli and Fiorentina, as letting clubs off the hook for running at a loss, so it was suggested if they did take advantage of this economic assistance, then that money could not be used to work on the transfer market in January.
New Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi also criticised the move, insisting that football already received more benefits than most other sport.
Lotito continues to work on the project, especially as he was recently elected to the Senate and is therefore able to negotiate directly and draw up his own version of the amendment.
Serie A clubs owe circa €500m in taxes and contributions to the Government, to be paid by December 16.
These clubs want to extend the instalment plan that was already introduced in 2020 to help them get through the COVID crisis.
This new version of the plan would allow clubs to spread payment over five years in 60 instalments.
Lotito is no stranger to this approach, as it was what allowed him to keep Lazio afloat when saving the club from bankruptcy when he first took over from Sergio Cragnotti.
The amendment also includes an option to extend the sale of television rights from the current three years to five.
Lotito has plenty of support from within Serie A, including his old bitter rival, Torino President Urbano Cairo.
“This time I agree with Lotito, which is something as many know that I don’t do very often,” Cairo told news agency ANSA.
“The situation is clear for all to see, football is struggling and that has been aggravated in recent years by the pandemic. Of course, mistakes were made, but that hasn’t stopped industries like cinema receiving tax credits.
“It wouldn’t be a tax credit as such, but an opportunity to spread payment over instalments. As for the TV rights, I believe this is already the case in Spain, indeed five or six years for international rights.”
Never fond of Lotito, but let’s admit it he’s managed to turn Lazio into a financially healthy club. Very sure those who disapprove his plan has something going on behind the curtain,