Yesterday the FIGC voted and approved the amendment to the Statute. Gathered in the Assembly in Rome, all the federal components approved what was proposed by president Gabriele Gravina, despite a Lega Serie A which had unitedly shown its opposition at the time of Lorenzo Casini’s introductory speech, but then at the time of the votes it was shown split
With the modification of the Statute, the electoral weights during the Federal Council change
Serie A – Federal Councilors go from 3 to 4, electoral weight from 12 to 18%.
Series B – Federal Councilors go from 1 to 2, electoral weight from 5 to 6%.
Lega Pro – Federal Councilors go from 2 to 1, electoral weight from 17 to 12%
Serie D – Situation remains unchanged: 6 councilors and 34% electoral weight.
Assoallenatori – Situation remains unchanged: 2 councilors and 10% electoral weight.
Footballers’ Associations – Situation remains unchanged: 4 councilors and 20% electoral weight.
Italian Association of Referees – Federal Councilors go from 1 to 0, electoral weight from 2% to 0.
With this reform, Serie A acquires greater autonomy and veto power in matters that concern it (the only League to maintain it). However, it does not maintain autonomy over team controls (now entrusted to an independent authority) and in some matters the FIGC remains counter-veto. Technical and managerial autonomy for referees.
Serie A is not satisfied with the vote and will appeal in the next few daysafter an Assembly that will be held on November 18th and which promises to be rather agitated because yesterday’s vote (eight votes against, twelve abstentions) has created a split in the League itself. “A proposal has been passed that sees Serie A having an additional Federal Councilor and a right of veto that it didn’t have before – declared the president of the Lega Serie A Lorenzo Casini at the end of the Assembly -. We would also have preferred a right to propose without a veto: we did not vote in favor of this proposal, there was solidarity in not voting in favor. Let’s face the facts: it’s true that there were some abstentions but we left the teams free. The important thing was not to vote in favor when the proposal remained the same. Now we will have an Assembly to understand the next steps, we hope it will be the beginning of a new path in which Serie A can have greater weight. Do you formally recognize the result or will you appeal? The appeal has been filed, then we will have a meeting to decide the next steps. We’ll talk about it.”
This is Gabriele Gravina’s satisfaction: “Satisfaction is having favored a fundamental principle that inspired us in this journey, namely the principles of democracy. We have established the rules on the statutory principles in various passages, today’s meeting was the place where an institution wanted to demonstrate to itself and to all interested parties that the principle of democracy is the most important. Having worked on a fundamental balance and having thought responsibly about granting, within the framework of a federal balance, some activities such as autonomy in the Serie A league, which is not foreseen by any law, I think it is a gesture of shared responsibility. Today you will not hear me talk about numbers which are significant, but about contents. The Federation met the requests of Serie A, this could not fail to be taken into due consideration and far be it from us for Serie A to take a political position. Ours was a gesture of responsibility to entrust the autonomy of the League Serie A”.