The Federal Council approves a regulation that tangibly promotes the use of young players. The president: “Restrictions or measures that sideline Italian players are not possible; the only solution is to promote their use”
The FIGC is moving from words to action. This morning’s Federal Council approved a regulation, included in the National Licensing Manual, that tangibly promotes the use of young Italian players. President Gabriele Gravina explains: “This is based on the principle defined in the strategic plan approved in March 2024, which calls for the value of the Expanded Labor Cost indicator to decrease from the current 0.8 to 0.7 in the summer of 2026—a value used for the so-called ‘transfer market freeze’ for Serie A clubs. To support the policy of promoting young players—even in light of international regulations—we have allowed the costs and related depreciation of Under-23 players eligible for the Italian national teams to be excluded from this calculation. For Serie B and Serie C, there is a proposal to apply the same approach to Under-21 players.” This innovation could lead to a genuine revolution and transformation of Italian soccer, with clear benefits for the national team as well.
Returning to the topic of young players, Gravina says: “Restrictions or measures that mandate the use of Italian players are not possible; they conflict with international law. What can be done is to provide incentives; there is already talk of a new law or an amendment to the Melandri Law. A cultural shift is needed in the youth academies.”
National Team— Italian Playoff Chapter: “Postponing Matchday 30 isn’t feasible; the schedule is already packed. Is the FIGC’s fate tied to that of the national team? There’s no rule on this; internally, we operate on a principle of democracy—I received 98% of the votes. Then there are considerations to be made regarding decisions of responsibility and a personal nature, but it’s too early to discuss them. I’m optimistic—we’ll make it to the World Cup. FIFA’s qualifying regulations are well known; there’s no point in looking for loopholes. Of course, if there’s a ranking system, perhaps some teams might deserve an advantage.”
