FIGC boss calls for donations to ‘save’ Italian football
Gabriele Gravina’s proposed ‘save football’ fund would comprise of 1 per cent (€104m) of sports betting revenue generated in Italy.
Italy.- The President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has called on the Italian government to donate a percentage of sports betting revenue to support clubs during the Coronavirus outbreak.
According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Gabriele Gravina’s proposed ‘save football’ fund would comprise of 1 per cent (€104m) of sports betting revenue generated in Italy.
“We cannot ask the government for money because we know very well that there are other priorities at the moment. We ask, however, for the establishment of a fund with resources from the FIGC, which will make important sacrifices right now, and resources that must come from betting,” Gravina said
“There is a European Union resolution that says that copyright on betting must be protected. France already applies one per cent and the same thing has been asked for by the NBA,” he added.
The fund would look to support both professional and amateur clubs in Italy, where top-tier football has been suspended for the foreseeable future following the outbreak.
In March, Serie A, Italy’s premier football league, has asked the government to relax its gambling advertising rules to help the sport recover from the Covid-19 crisis.
