the end of a tax advantage for foreign players shakes Serie A

2023-12-29 17:22:47

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The tax boost which allowed foreign players to declare only 50% of their income will be eliminated on January 1, 2024. A measure taken by the government of Giorgia Meloni which might have consequences for the elite of Italian football.

Published on 29/12/2023 18:22

Reading time: 1 min

Benjamin Pavard in action with Inter Milan during the Serie A match, at Salernitana pitch (Italy), September 30, 2023. (GIUSEPPE MAFFIA / NURPHOTO)

It’s a bolt from the blue in Italian football. The right-far-right coalition government of Giorgia Meloni has decided to remove the tax advantages enjoyed by foreign players playing in the Italian championship. The “growth decree”, introduced in Serie A in 2019, will disappear on January 1, 2024. A decision which might very seriously change the landscape of the prestigious Serie A, the elite of transalpine football.

The “growth decree” was a tax boost which allowed, in particular, foreign players to declare only 50% of their income during the five years following their arrival in Italy. A valuable measure which allowed Italian clubs, including the three “big” of Inter, AC Milan and Juventus Turin, to be competitive on the transfer market and rather convincing in negotiating a contract with players foreigners.

It is thanks to “this growth decree” that Calcio was able to attract some big names, including French internationals like Adrien Rabiot, Paul Pogba, Olivier Giroud, Marcus Thuram, Benjamin Pavard and Mike Maignan. This era, which saw Italian clubs return to the forefront in Europe, notably with Inter Milan in the final of the last Champions League, now seems to be over.

Giorgia Meloni favors national preference

This decision was taken so that transalpine clubs invest more in Italian players, now treated fiscally at the same level as foreigners. The government of Giorgia Meloni thus wishes to promote and develop national preference, while the Italian team has twice failed to qualify for the World Cup (2018 and 2022), despite victory at Euro 2021.

Serie A clubs have already expressed their surprise and concern, fearing that Calcio will be less attractive economically and medially. And, by extension, the fear of being less competitive on the pitch, particularly in European competitions.

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