Lazio President Claudio Lotito claims the removal of the Growth Decree means ‘clubs like Milan, Juventus and Roma risk being destroyed’ by the financial fall-out and blames the Players’ Association.
The Government in Italy had been widely expected to renew the financial incentives that make it easier to sign players from abroad, allowing clubs to pay 50 per cent fewer taxes on their salaries.
However, after a ‘heated discussion’ between Ministers, news agency ANSA reports that the Government will not renew the decree or replace it with a similar incentive, so it will expire on December 31.
“It’s a very dumb move,” Lazio President Lotito told Notizie.com.
“I’d like to see who wants to come here from abroad now. And the State will lose out too, because it will get less revenue coming in.”
Milan chief Giorgio Furlani had said that the removal of the Growth Decree would “destroy Italian football” and now the decision has been made, Lotito expects the worst.
“Lazio do not have any particular problems regarding contracts, but Milan, Juventus and Roma risk being destroyed by this type of situation.”
Lotito also aims the finger of blame squarely at the Players’ Association, who had fought to remove the Growth Decree because it made it significantly cheaper to bring in players from abroad than invest in Italian talent.
“They are the ones who did everything to wreck this decree. They said things that were unfair about the youth academies, as if 14-year-olds were promoted to the senior squad. Well done them, now we’ll see what they will do when the league is less competitive.”
The sudden turnaround from the Government was unexpected, so it’s not clear what happened to scrap those plans to at least extend it until the end of February, which would’ve covered the January transfer window.
“Minister for Sport Andre Abodi was in favour of the two-month extension, but that too has fallen apart. I don’t know what happened, we have to wait and see.”
The growth decree did destroy italian soccer by not incentivizing italians over foreigners. The owners are the problem.
get all the youth players and let them start to play in the seria gain exp they must play all the not on the bench this will pay off for the national team