FIGC president Gabriele Gravina spoke about the potential reduction of teams in Serie A while also praising the work of referee’s in the league. Gravina was being interviewed by Radio Anch’io Sport on Rai Radio 1 and touched on a number of important subjects, including the potential for reforming Italian football’s top league, but began by talking about the upcoming EURO 2024 competition:
“Iselrloh will be our headquarters, embracing many Italians. Our fellow citizens never fail to show affection, transmitting enthusiasm to our athletes. We are preparing with great care for the Euros. In March, we will play two friendlies in the United States because we have been absent for many years, as requested loudly by the Italian communities in Miami and New York. We will play these two friendlies, with the participation of our National Team in many events.”
Then, the president of the FIGC praised the work of Italian referees and VAR: “We were the first to launch this mode inspired by a process of absolute transparency. Italian referees represent excellence: 15% of matches at the international level are refereed by Italian officials. With the introduction of VAR, this season the margin of error is close to zero, we are at 0.84%.”
Gravina then revealed some projects to further enhance young Italians: “The two fundamental assets that generate wealth are infrastructure and youth academies. Within our strategic plan, there is a chapter dedicated to the enhancement of young players. We know that there is also a decision by the European Court of Justice that prevents the imposition of mandatory homegrown players. We have proposed the 6+6, but trained in the nursery of their own club. We are trying to strengthen all the structures of our federal centers, we are thinking of relaunching a first hypothesis of a federal academy.”
Finally, the president commented on the reform of the league and the hypothesis of switching to 18 teams: “I believe there is a need to reform the system, but the concept of reform requires openness to change. And change requires confrontation, participation, but above all courage. It is the concrete response to a situation that does not reveal a positive evolutionary capacity. I am convinced that Italian football is finally making a thorough analysis of what needs to be changed to improve stability and competitiveness. The discussions and tensions of recent days should be interpreted positively. It means that the shock given by convening the assembly has produced the result of stirring up from a sort of torpor and resignation the majority of the protagonists of our world. Reform is needed, the primary goal is to secure Italian football, whose economic and financial instability, between excessive indebtedness and poor capitalization, risks undermining any development project. Before innovating, we must heal and move away from that logic that blocks the system only on the hypothesis of 20 or 18 teams: these are tied to logics of immobility and opposition that, although understandable, are not yet acceptable.”
