Why do you only lose money in football? The book explains it “Italian football 1898-1981. economy and power, written by Nicola De Ianni, associate professor of economic and financial history at the Federico II University of Naples, and published by Rubbettino. After the success in Naples, on Friday the text was presented in Rome at the Circolo Canottieri Aniene. Present, among others, the former president of Coni and Figc, Franco Carraro, the general director of the Football Federation, Michele Uva and the dean of the sports attorney Dario Canovi. The debate outlined a historical, economic and social picture of the Italian football phenomenon.
“De Ianni has done an enormous research work – explained the CEO of the FIGC, Michele Uva -, Italian football has been drugged for many periods by the influx of new funds. First the Totocalcio, then the TV rights, were two factors that brought in induced money and that probably narcotized the system, making a sedimentation due to lack of projects". The discussion explored the economic and entrepreneurial mechanisms that have been hidden behind this sport in more than a century of history.
“Why does football systematically lose? Whatever the takings, 5-10% more is always spent for two fundamental reasons: in the vast majority of cases – he explains the former president of the Football Federation and Coni, Franco Carraro – no one approaches football to make money. They do it to satisfy their ambition and passion, then maybe through the notoriety of football you open up to other scenarios and markets". But the era of fan presidents seems to have changed: “Today – explains the agent Dario Canovi – the Thohirs and the Pallottas don't come to be presidents because they are fans but for other reasons: a stadium or the international prestige that a big club gives you. ”.
In football you lose, or maybe you lost. Because the author himself is very clear what the model to follow could be, Aurelio De Laurentiis: “What is striking about this modern president with colorful tones, a Bartali from 2010, is that so far – concludes the author of the book – he has managed to escape the basic rules. And that is that, while the Agnellis and the Berlusconis had only a tenth of their turnover in football, De Laurentiis's challenge is to earn in football so much so that today FilmAuro invoices perhaps 50 million euros while Napoli, taken from Serie C, today it has a turnover of 150-200 million. An interesting challenge, we'll see what happens."
