The President of CONI Giovanni Malago insists he has ‘nothing against football’ despite cuts in funding to the Italian Football Federation.
The Italian National Olympic Committee announced this week that it would be cutting €22.5m in funding for Italian football.
The decision drew criticism, as football is the biggest sport in Italy according to CONI’s own figures.
The President of CONI Giovanni Malago insists he has ‘nothing against football’ despite cuts in funding to the Italian Football Federation.
The Italian National Olympic Committee announced this week that it would be cutting €22.5m in funding for Italian football.
The decision drew criticism, as football is the biggest sport in Italy according to CONI’s own figures.
Speaking to the Cultural Commission, Malago has declared that the move is not an attack on football, but rather an attempt to bring the game into line with other Italian sports.
“If you work under certain assumptions, football will be able to make back money lost in future, and maybe make even more, but it could also make even less in the future,” Malago has commented.
“We can’t say that whatever happens in football, it should always get the same amount of money from us.
“I have nothing against football. I’m a fan [of Roma], and I haven’t cut anything, I’m just making sure that we recognise that football is part of sport in this country and not a law unto itself.
“In the past football had a higher percentage of funding, now it’s back within the parameters of other sports.”