ITALY Law and Practice Contributed by: Maurizio Marullo, Giorgio Vagnoni and Francesco Amoresano, LAWP Studio legale e tributario
7.2 Employer/Employee Rights Employer/employee relationships are generally regu - lated by the law and collective agreements ‒ stipulated by athletes’, coaches’ and directors’ unions with the relevant federations and leagues ‒ establishing respec - tive rights and obligations. Said rights and obligations may be general (eg, duty of loyalty) or specific (eg, limits to the performance of other sports, work or busi - ness activities during the contract term) and may vary depending on the sportsperson under consideration. In the case of breaches of the collective agreement, the sportsperson may receive sanctions (eg, warn - ings, fines, salary reduction and – in the most serious cases – compensation for damages and the termina - tion of the contract), while the club may be mandated by the competent panel to stop said breach, compen - sate for damages caused to the counterpart and – in the most serious cases – terminate the contract. Disputes concerning employer/employee relation - ships are generally referred to dedicated arbitration (see 6.2 ADR Mechanisms ). Disputes involving play - ers often arise from a player’s exclusion from the first team training sessions, mobbing, unpaid salaries, damage to the reputation of the club and/or its man - agement, etc. Disputes involving coaches and sports directors often involve actions harming the employer’s reputation during the employment term. 7.3 Free Movement of Athletes In Italy and across the EU, the principle of free move - ment of workers prohibits nationality-based restric - tions on EU athletes, as established by the Bosman ruling. Consequently, governing bodies may only impose quantitative limits on non-EU athletes. In Italy, rules on non-EU athletes vary by league. Starting from the 2024/25 season, Serie A operates a flexible system allowing clubs to register up to two non-EU players from abroad per season, with certain clubs permitted to sign up to three depending on their existing squad composition; replacement obligations have been abolished, and British and Albanian players are treated as EU-equivalent. By contrast, Serie B and Serie C clubs may generally sign only Italian and EU players, with a limited exception for non-EU players
already registered as professionals in Italian top-tier competitions. Rules and restrictions related to foreign athletes are also established by other national federations (profes - sional basketball, for instance, has looser restrictions on foreign athletes compared to its amateur counter - part, which prioritises Italian-trained players). 8. Women’s Sport 8.1 Development and Growth of Women’s Sport In recent years, women’s sport in Italy has experi - enced significant growth in visibility and commer - cial relevance, with football emerging as the fastest- expanding discipline. While sports such as volleyball have long enjoyed strong female participation, wom - en’s football has undergone the most substantial structural transformation. Over the past decade, the number of registered female footballers has increased from fewer than 19,000 to more than 31,000. A turning point occurred in the 2022/23 season, when Women’s Serie A became fully professional. Players are now employed under formal contracts, with full social security coverage and regu - latory safeguards comparable to those applicable in men’s football. This shift marked not only a regulatory milestone but also a cultural one, reinforcing the rec - ognition of women athletes as professional workers. From a commercial perspective, media coverage and sponsorship interest have steadily increased, lead - ing to higher broadcasting revenues and the gradual development of a transfer market. Although structural challenges remain ‒ particularly regarding infrastruc - ture and matchday revenues ‒ the trajectory is clearly upward. The Italian women’s football sector is now positioned as a growing and increasingly structured segment of the national sports industry, with positive medium- to long-term commercial prospects. Italy’s legislature advocates for gender equality in sports, and the “Sports Reform” takes into account gender equality as one of its purposes, establishing the “Fund for professional women’s sports” and pro -
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