FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio says that the number of foreigners in Italian football is ‘devastating’ the game.
Tavecchio has courted controversy in the past, making a racist gaffe during his campaign to be elected as head of the Federation.
FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio says that the number of foreigners in Italian football is ‘devastating’ the game.
Tavecchio has courted controversy in the past, making a racist gaffe during his campaign to be elected as head of the Federation.
Former Azzurri CT Arrigo Sacchi prompted a storm recently when he said there were too many black players in Italian youth teams, later clarifying that he meant foreigners, and the FIGC chief has echoed the latter sentiment.
“Our goal is to try to rejuvenate the football system,” Tavecchio explained in an interview with Albania’s Channel Agon, as reported by Mediaset.
“[We’ll do this] By launching younger players, to limit the devastating use of foreigners.”
The former head of the amateur leagues also defended the state of calcio, insisting it is not second rate.
“It’s not true that Italian football is second rate. We have 15 million fans.
“It’s clear that compared to elsewhere we have fewer foreign owners, we have tax rules that don’t make it easy.”