Key Takeaways
- Serie A president Ezio Simonelli says Italian football is in crisis after missing three World Cups and failing in European competitions
- Italy’s stadiums are the oldest in Europe, creating a 350 per cent revenue gap with modern venues like Real Madrid’s Bernabeu
- Clubs need political support to build new grounds before Italy co-hosts EURO 2032 with Turkey
Ezio Simonelli, president of Lega Serie A, has issued a stark warning to Italy’s political leaders. He states they must choose between ignoring the sport’s problems or working together to rescue Italian football from its current difficulties.
The call for action comes after a period of poor results for the national team. Italy failed to qualify for the last three World Cup tournaments. Additionally, no Italian clubs reached the semi-finals of European competitions this season.
Speaking to the Commission for Culture, Simonelli explained that the problems go deeper than recent penalty shoot-out defeats. He pointed to the country’s ageing stadium infrastructure as a major barrier to progress.
“Our analysis must begin with the reality that Serie A grounds are the oldest in Europe,” Simonelli explained. He highlighted the financial gap between Italy’s best-performing venue and modern stadiums abroad.
San Siro, home to Inter Milan and AC Milan, generates approximately €70 million annually. In contrast, Real Madrid’s renovated Bernabeu brings in €250 million per year. This creates a revenue difference of 350 per cent.
Many clubs have struggled for decades to build new facilities. Inter Milan, AC Milan, AS Roma, Lazio, Napoli, Fiorentina, Cagliari, and Venezia have all faced endless bureaucracy and delays. Only Juventus, Atalanta, and Udinese have successfully modernised their grounds by rebuilding existing sites.
The situation creates added pressure as Italy prepares to co-host EURO 2032 with Turkey. The country must upgrade five stadiums before the tournament begins.
Simonelli urged politicians to stop adding restrictions or considering federal receivership. Instead, he called for genuine partnership between the government and Serie A. He believes this cooperation is essential to restore the sport to its former glory.
“Politicians can continue to look away, or they can turn this crisis into a chance to revitalise our game,” Simonelli stated. “We can only recover if politics and Serie A sit on the same side of the table and work together.”