Inter director Beppe Marotta argues it is ‘discriminatory’ to block the Growth Decree from applying to football players and further evidence that the Government looks down on sport as an industry.
The law was introduced in 2019 to help bring fresh investment and talent into Italian business, including football, providing tax cuts and facilitations for anyone coming in from abroad.
Because of these rules, it became more advantageous to buy a foreign player, as they could save 50 per cent on taxes for his salary.
However, it was argued that the benefits did not outweigh the damage done to local Italian talent, who were not considered viable investments.
The Government in Italy is now discussing an amendment to the rule that would remove it from football, which infuriated the clubs, including Inter.
“A specific amendment that only penalises the industry of professional sport is not only myopic and counter-productive, but it is also extremely discriminatory and confirms our sector is considered only residual in this country,” Inter director Marotta told news agency ANSA.
“The Growth Decree is a fundamental law to support economic development in this country for all professionals who come from abroad. Football represents the 13th biggest industry in the country and in the last 13 years football has pumped over €14m in taxes into the Government coffers and has circa 7,700 employees.
“The rule also applies to other professional sporting figures, for example basketball players and coaches, so it wouldn’t even be fair to say this is purely about football.”
Marotta also pointed out that the tax cuts given to football players is ‘only’ 50 per cent, whereas other sectors can get anything from 70 per cent to 90 per cent discounts on their tax bills as part of the Growth Decree.
“We are working every day to make sure Italian football can return to being at least competitive with the most important European Leagues, who have for some time left us behind in terms of attractiveness and revenue.
“Eliminating the ruling for professional football players would be unconstitutional, as it’d make footballers the only category of employees excluded from the fiscal regime that encourages the return of talent from abroad, and therefore would be discriminatory.”
Marotta did suggest potential ways of adjusting the rules to encourage more investment in Italian talent, for example limiting it only to Serie A and B, or setting a minimum salary for the tax discount to apply.
Marotta: «Discriminatorio abolire Decreto Crescita per calciatori» https://t.co/oE47jvMLET pic.twitter.com/ZP5m2pP1cP
— Calcio e Finanza (@CalcioFinanza) December 2, 2021
When you don’t have a valid argument just use that word.
Marotta is full of it. its just so lazy to use the ‘discriminatory’ excuse. Last time I checked When Italian Teams were winning European trophies the league was majority Italian
it affects all teams is not just about Inter, by the way Iam AC Milan tifosi..right now Inter plays with more italians than ACM..the growth decree is fundamental for being competive.
I know this is a hot take but uhh… Maybe the government could reduce the taxes on ALL Italians, as well?
I 100% agree that the Italian government is doing a disservice to football. This is why in England they can ask for billions of dollars in TV revenue and we can only dream of even getting one. The Italian national team did win when the majority was Italian but remember we had a lot of talented foreigners in the league at the time.
The gap between a top league like EPL and Serie A has been widening for a while now. Top talent around the world had stopped considering Serie A as an option for years. There are so many systemic issues in Italy, so many disadvantages for Serie A compared to the best of Europe. Thanks to the growth decree which is one of the very few competitive advantages that Italian clubs enjoy, we saw some stars come over… players like Ronaldo, Eriksen, Lukaku, etc.
Why take away the one advantage Serie A clubs have? It would make Serie A even less competitive in Europe.
Because Serie A clubs aren’t winning as it is, so what’s the difference?
Of course people will retort with “Italy won Euro 2020 so if the players are good enough they will have space”.
Again. Italy won DESPITE the barriers in place.
You are forgetting all the late bloomers and players buried in the lower leagues. If it was 50% stranieri in 2006 when Fabio Grosso was buried in the lower leagues at age 23-25, he would have just given up football altogether if it was 2021 and we are down to 35%.
Every other league around the world, except Italy and England are down to 35% of domestic players, and people seriously think this is acceptable?
We have our own trash players, no need to import them.
I repeat, nobody minds the good stranieri in ‘A’ these days like Osihmen, Vlahovic, Lautauro Martinez, the Milinkovic-Savic brothers, Luis Alberto, Duvan Zapata, Chucky, Theo Hernandez, but man, some of the others in the league? WOW ! You seriously mean to tell me there isn’t 3 Italians players that can do the same job as them?
I agree with Marotta. If we have more star names in Serie A then we can attract better sponsors and better TV deals, not to mention our clubs being more competitive in the Champions League. It’s all connected. Don’t forget we have just won the Euros, so Italian talent is coming through anyway.
Maybe we can limit it to only Serie A but removing the growth decree completely would be a step backwards.
Excerpt: “The law was introduced in 2019 to help bring fresh investment and talent into Italian business, including football, providing tax cuts and facilitations for anyone coming in from abroad”
Yeah, well. The foreign investment has arrived alright. 10 or 11 of the clubs in ‘A’ are foreign owned. Parma in ‘B’ as well. I bet there are more.
Football and non-football company’s are being bought by the usual suspect(s).
Have a better idea. Tax cuts for clubs that field players from their own Academies.
What we are seeing right now is a betrayal of the country.
Juventus fans are still salty after ditching him without honour. Why don’t they invest in their youth. The worst academy out of all the major clubs and they dump the cash on the Dutch Phil Jones.
Tell Marotta to stop crying. He can still buy his Argentine players – Outer Milan specialty!
‘Solo Inter‘ is a dirty limey kunt troĺl. Eat another mince pie, faggot.
(and no, I’m not calling you a cigarette).
He speaks more sense than most. Serie A has already lost Romero, Hakimi, Lukaku, Ronaldo + the rest, in recent years! So why would anyone of sound mind want to take away Italy’s one, small economic advantage? Serie A club’s dominated Europe in the 90’s, both when it was the 3-foreigner rule + after it was abolished in ’95. And the level of the national team’s players was of a high caliber in that decade too. Serie A only stopped dominating in the early 00’s when it’s economic advantage started to disappear. And now Italy’s own government want’s to take away the ONLY economic advantage that Serie A has??? I thought the goal was for Serie A to grow? No-one is that stupid, makes you wonder if they use lame “issue’s” like this as scapegoat’s to keep people’s focus away from the real issue’s of infrastructure + stadium redevelopment?! The only reason that the “foreigner” thing has ALWAY’S been an “issue” in Italy, is because of mentality. They go from one extreme to the other. Ban all foreign players like in the 1970’s or prioritize, cheap, foreign players over homegrown talent, due to the economic save’s like now? So let’s take that economic benefit away? No, no, no, no, no, idiots!!! Yes, it may encourage club’s to take more of a chance on young Italian’s, but top, foreign stars will come even less + the level of competition in Serie A will drop even more. And it’ll become even more parochial, as it’s left even further behind by Europe’s other league’s! Which won’t help Italy’s national team in the long-run! Unless they all go abroad to play in a more competitive league! Am I the only one to see this? I’m no expert or even smart, but it’s OBVIOUS! Is that their goal, to stunt the growth of Italian club football, to keep it in the grip of corrupt, local authorities + government official’s, who get their own “economic benefits” by keeping thing’s exactly the way that they are? Clubs only buy cheap, foreigner’s because they’re desperate to save a buck, as the government/local council’s won’t allow for structural change? So they very cleverly try to put all the blame on to the club’s. Don’t take away, give more…give tax benefit’s to young Italian talent too. Surely it’s worth it for the country’s, what,13th biggest industry? Encourage club’s to sign young Italian talent AND international, foreign stars. Or better yet, listen to Marotta, it sound’s like he knows better + he’s technically right, it is discriminatory, as football is the only industry which the government is targeting!
Again:
– Italian clubs aren’t winning in Europe these days anyways. Obviously the foreigners that are there are not good enough to make a difference.
– Have you seen some of the foreigner’s in Italian football these days? There are Italians buried in the lower leagues to replace them, no need to worry.
– Spain have a higher UEFA Coefficient than Italy and they have many more domestic players in their league than Italy does so there goes your argument that less foreigners will make the league worse.
– Italy has already sold itself out. The damage is already beyond repair. From football clubs to fashion houses, so many of which are now foreign owned.
I don’t understand why in Italy every other industry / segment can claim up to 90% of growth decree on taxes yet the sporting industry can’t or they want to remove it ONLY for the sporting industry???? (bc again other sports teams would be included). So why isn’t that discriminatory when other industries would be exempt?? Marotta is 100% bang on here and I am one very familiar with italys tax code.
If the growth decree forces teams to play Italian youth I am all for removing it ! If your youth academy sucks then instead of investing in players start investing in youth, scouting and young talent instead.
Listen Branca just call back Secco so he can find the next Boumsong, Grygera and Mellberg. Problem solved. On a more serious note Juventus have never had a good youth academy and are always behind the curve. Look at Chelsea, Man City, Ajax, Sporting Lisbon, Rennes and many more. The only youth players you invested in are Soule (not Italian), Kulusevski (overpriced) and Chiesa (not from your academy). Allegri will never give Fagioli, Ranocchia and Rovella the chance. That is why you should have stuck with Pirlo. Not getting a champions league spot could do you wonders as it might make the upper management think and evaluate other alternatives esp if you are forced into a couple of big sales.
The troll Solo Inter is at it again.
Instead of good debate this clown insists on ruining this site. FI, act on this please.
Louch is another anti-Italian. Every damn one of his comments on this site. Sell Out.
You just know his people were the ones selling out his neighbors in times of warfare.
Vergognati.
I cannot believe I just sharted. It is wet, cold, dark and just a few days before Genoa. I have to learn to control myself.