×
Italy federation seeks betting cash, youth incentives to halt decline following World Cup miss  Italy’s outgoing football chief, Gabriele Gravina, on ‌Wednesday called for diverting betting revenue into youth development ​and infrastructure to revive a sport in deep crisis ⁠after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.The proposals by Gravina, who resigned ‌as head of the federation (FIGC) on April 2, aim to map a way out of the historic low point ‌for the four-time World Cup winner that has sharpened criticism ‌of ⁠the entire Italian football system.Gravina argued that the Azzurri’s ⁠repeated sporting failures are the result of long-standing structural weaknesses rather than short-term mistakes. His report proposed channelling part of the rich gambling proceeds linked to the sport ​into grassroots programmes and academies, ‌as well as badly needed investment in new or upgraded football arenas.He also proposed abolishing a ban on betting advertising and sponsorships introduced in 2018, in an attempt to curb ‌gambling addiction in a country that is home to ​Europe’s largest gambling market.The FIGC report said a major problem was the marginal role played by Italians in the ⁠top-flight Serie A, where foreigners account for some 68 per cent of minutes played, among the highest shares in Europe.ALSO READ | Relegation-threatened Leicester City loses appeal against six-point deductionThe pathway for younger players is ‌even narrower, with Under-21 Italian players accounting for less than 2 per cent of total Serie A playing time, it said.To reverse the trend, the federation proposed financial incentives for clubs that field young and Italian players, stronger investment in youth academies and faster approval processes for new or redeveloped stadiums.Technical decline is compounded by a fragile ‌financial model, the FIGC warned. Professional Italian football loses more than 700 million ​euros (USD 818.37 million) a year, with high debt levels and a history of clubs collapsing or being excluded from competitions.The ⁠report concluded that lasting recovery would require coordinated action across the sport, ⁠warning that leadership changes or isolated reforms alone would not be enough to restore Italian football’s competitiveness.Gravina’s successor is ‌due to be elected in June.After Italy’s shock defeat to Bosnia, national team manager Gennaro Gattuso and team delegation head ​Gianluigi Buffon also stepped down.Published on Apr 08, 2026  #Italy #federation #seeks #betting #cash #youth #incentives #halt #decline #World #Cup

Italy federation seeks betting cash, youth incentives to halt decline following World Cup miss

Italy’s outgoing football chief, Gabriele Gravina, on ‌Wednesday called for diverting betting revenue into youth development ​and infrastructure to revive a sport in deep crisis ⁠after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.

The proposals by Gravina, who resigned ‌as head of the federation (FIGC) on April 2, aim to map a way out of the historic low point ‌for the four-time World Cup winner that has sharpened criticism ‌of ⁠the entire Italian football system.

Gravina argued that the Azzurri’s ⁠repeated sporting failures are the result of long-standing structural weaknesses rather than short-term mistakes. His report proposed channelling part of the rich gambling proceeds linked to the sport ​into grassroots programmes and academies, ‌as well as badly needed investment in new or upgraded football arenas.

He also proposed abolishing a ban on betting advertising and sponsorships introduced in 2018, in an attempt to curb ‌gambling addiction in a country that is home to ​Europe’s largest gambling market.

The FIGC report said a major problem was the marginal role played by Italians in the ⁠top-flight Serie A, where foreigners account for some 68 per cent of minutes played, among the highest shares in Europe.

ALSO READ | Relegation-threatened Leicester City loses appeal against six-point deduction

The pathway for younger players is ‌even narrower, with Under-21 Italian players accounting for less than 2 per cent of total Serie A playing time, it said.

To reverse the trend, the federation proposed financial incentives for clubs that field young and Italian players, stronger investment in youth academies and faster approval processes for new or redeveloped stadiums.

Technical decline is compounded by a fragile ‌financial model, the FIGC warned. Professional Italian football loses more than 700 million ​euros (USD 818.37 million) a year, with high debt levels and a history of clubs collapsing or being excluded from competitions.

The ⁠report concluded that lasting recovery would require coordinated action across the sport, ⁠warning that leadership changes or isolated reforms alone would not be enough to restore Italian football’s competitiveness.

Gravina’s successor is ‌due to be elected in June.

After Italy’s shock defeat to Bosnia, national team manager Gennaro Gattuso and team delegation head ​Gianluigi Buffon also stepped down.

Published on Apr 08, 2026

#Italy #federation #seeks #betting #cash #youth #incentives #halt #decline #World #Cup

Italy’s outgoing football chief, Gabriele Gravina, on ‌Wednesday called for diverting betting revenue into youth development ​and infrastructure to revive a sport in deep crisis ⁠after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.

The proposals by Gravina, who resigned ‌as head of the federation (FIGC) on April 2, aim to map a way out of the historic low point ‌for the four-time World Cup winner that has sharpened criticism ‌of ⁠the entire Italian football system.

Gravina argued that the Azzurri’s ⁠repeated sporting failures are the result of long-standing structural weaknesses rather than short-term mistakes. His report proposed channelling part of the rich gambling proceeds linked to the sport ​into grassroots programmes and academies, ‌as well as badly needed investment in new or upgraded football arenas.

He also proposed abolishing a ban on betting advertising and sponsorships introduced in 2018, in an attempt to curb ‌gambling addiction in a country that is home to ​Europe’s largest gambling market.

The FIGC report said a major problem was the marginal role played by Italians in the ⁠top-flight Serie A, where foreigners account for some 68 per cent of minutes played, among the highest shares in Europe.

ALSO READ | Relegation-threatened Leicester City loses appeal against six-point deduction

The pathway for younger players is ‌even narrower, with Under-21 Italian players accounting for less than 2 per cent of total Serie A playing time, it said.

To reverse the trend, the federation proposed financial incentives for clubs that field young and Italian players, stronger investment in youth academies and faster approval processes for new or redeveloped stadiums.

Technical decline is compounded by a fragile ‌financial model, the FIGC warned. Professional Italian football loses more than 700 million ​euros (USD 818.37 million) a year, with high debt levels and a history of clubs collapsing or being excluded from competitions.

The ⁠report concluded that lasting recovery would require coordinated action across the sport, ⁠warning that leadership changes or isolated reforms alone would not be enough to restore Italian football’s competitiveness.

Gravina’s successor is ‌due to be elected in June.

After Italy’s shock defeat to Bosnia, national team manager Gennaro Gattuso and team delegation head ​Gianluigi Buffon also stepped down.

Published on Apr 08, 2026

Source link
#Italy #federation #seeks #betting #cash #youth #incentives #halt #decline #World #Cup

Previous post

Fashion InStyle Facilitates Innovation Discovery and International Face-to-Face

Next post

Google News<ol><li><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxQUllNR1JLdmFuV2FFOTVNQVc0UEFwWkhtbXVxTEJFcVA0bWVKenJJYWlRSElYaDU1WDg4VkVJajZiQ1hNd0d5VWFPNE40YlZYYWhPN0Z5TnZsbksydlplVmU1VWc0Ulc5cEd6MTk0MzhCSWZPX0ViQWc5eldQTUNiMlFmbWRpbC1hWDBRallTeFNsTUpHOWh6Wk0yT0FxOEcta1Y2WWl3?oc=5" target="_blank">Live Updates: Iran claims Israel violating ceasefire as it appears to maintain control over Strait of Hormuz</a>  <font color="#6f6f6f">CBS News</font></li><li><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxQZENQd2pzcWRuQ2hvNEpIbEtjRFduQnFYTFYzY1VxMUlwZTM3Y1otdVBJazhOSGhVVTE3M1RtcGlnNkZDLXVIVWFLRV9yYkhkZ0FkSDZuMDJuTWx5emNlcVZlajBOVDBTMmlTbU80aGloVUo1cWNMRjlUd2x2a1FsZmgtTjVZVkJxbTRPYzRQakZBZ2F2T2xIUGxTdVNXOGd3S1RYS1ZnR2I?oc=5" target="_blank">Middle East ceasefire in serious doubt as Israel assaults Lebanon and Iran blocks oil tankers</a>  <font color="#6f6f6f">The Guardian</font></li><li><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieEFVX3lxTE52VTBDNXRXMGhVa1A5TGppMktITEZibnRHM0ZRSTJnLTg4U0wxdk5KZ2lmek13WTNpSkM0eTdZOE02RXNNYXRFajNsNFh6MTlkb3ZjbEM0RGIyMGdQRUlJVG9PbHRHakdKazNxbWc0cnp3Ynhqa2k0Zw?oc=5" target="_blank">U.S. says Iran ceasefire doesn’t apply to Israeli strikes in Lebanon</a>  <font color="#6f6f6f">Axios</font></li><li><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZ0FVX3lxTE41bHJfOElzdkx5T2ZEaEVoZHZMdW1BdkxnLTFlMUxOcGxCSXdWVS1lZm9kSFE5TEtPVFVtQ3Zubi1YcDdoMHJWbWo4QTIwVUw5bzdfS0VRU0pJN2pmd2VrYjJsM3FwR0E?oc=5" target="_blank">Live updates: Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, per Iranian state media</a>  <font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font></li><li><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQMjVHajRMWFhXeW9KaVJzdzBJa2tYOW1lenNNSXYwLVQ1QWdRR1gwSm5IM0ZtX0JTanpRSHY4UUx3VDIzZFVXVWtGVVR5NVFIMFM0VHlXWE5fLVY1cERac3lFZkhhVVVWdVV6WnVjWldSMGpZRzZ2bnBYSDg1R1hkdndZOUFCMHFJNjJGcnktd08tTUxVaXdEaWVFd2pJVGlKU2NiMGk4WFNNYmxsamw5LXIzVmFsdw?oc=5" target="_blank">Live updates: Iran war ceasefire begins though some new attacks hit Gulf; Israel says Lebanon not included</a>  <font color="#6f6f6f">nbcnews.com</font></li></ol>#Google #News

“Hammond, Indiana. Okay. If you’ve been to Soldier Field and you’ve been on the lakefront and you are somebody that is a romantic like myself, that’s where football should be played, on the lakefront right in front of those giant skyscrapers, right next to that big, beautiful park with the best coach in football, with one of the best young quarterback. But that ain’t happening. Grow up, Peter Pan. I’m talking to myself. Grow up, Peter Pan.”

“That ain’t happening. Okay. Arlington Heights. One of the most state-of-the-art beautiful property in the north suburbs. Arlington Heights. I don’t know if you’ve ever been there, but they have a racetrack that they demolished there that I said, ‘Oh, it’s a no-brainer. They would never knock down something of such historical significance to Chicago.‘ Well, it didn’t work. Hammond, Indiana is happening. Okay, now let’s let’s not play doom and gloom. Let’s do a little mental health check in and say, what are the positives here? The positives are it’s closer to downtown. It’s closer to downtown than Arlington Heights would be. It’s in fact 30 minutes closer to downtown than where the Bears training facility is on the north side in Lake Forest where I lived. You get the unique opportunity. It’s almost like I’m going to use the phrase, I don’t fully understand it, but I’m going to use the phrase manifest destiny. Okay? Remember when people were just moving west and they’re like, I’m going to put a flag down here.”

“This looks like a nice little hill. This is my hill. I’m going to call it Johnny’s Hill. You know, like I think about all the it’s the American dream. Well, you know what? It didn’t work out in Chicago. So, just follow that coast south down to Hammond, Indiana. And I can promise you this, if they do it the right way, like a number of these teams have done, you get the opportunity to have a state-of-the-art venue for anything that you want. You get the opportunity to own your stadium and the land around it outright. You get to make it exactly how you want to make it. And I’ve heard a lot of things about Hammond, Indiana. More often than not, not good things. But I can guarantee you this. There are people, there are kids, there are generations of Bears fans that are down there that are so excited to welcome you and show you that area with open arms and you get to make it yours.”

“Now, I know that’s a slap in the face to a lot of people, including myself, but it’s time to get to the next level. And they can do that there. Winning to me, what does success look like to me? It looks like a quarterback that’s on schedule in first and second down and continues to do what he does on third down and in the fourth quarter. I think building a defense that can stop the run and rush the passer on third down and got to have it rush downs. That would be great. I think everything is moving in the right direction and I think this Hammond, Indiana thing is a unique opportunity for the Bears to really take the next step.”

“I remember when St. Louis moved to LA, and granted, it was a lot more miles for that move. They become a serious contender overnight and the Bears already are a serious contender. So imagine what happens if you pump some caffeine into that.”

#Kyle #Long #optimistic #Bears #moving #Hammond #Indiana">Kyle Long is trying to be optimistic about the Bears maybe moving to Hammond, Indiana  “Hammond, Indiana. Okay. If you’ve been to Soldier Field and you’ve been on the lakefront and you are somebody that is a romantic like myself, that’s where football should be played, on the lakefront right in front of those giant skyscrapers, right next to that big, beautiful park with the best coach in football, with one of the best young quarterback. But that ain’t happening. Grow up, Peter Pan. I’m talking to myself. Grow up, Peter Pan.”“That ain’t happening. Okay. Arlington Heights. One of the most state-of-the-art beautiful property in the north suburbs. Arlington Heights. I don’t know if you’ve ever been there, but they have a racetrack that they demolished there that I said, ‘Oh, it’s a no-brainer. They would never knock down something of such historical significance to Chicago.‘ Well, it didn’t work. Hammond, Indiana is happening. Okay, now let’s let’s not play doom and gloom. Let’s do a little mental health check in and say, what are the positives here? The positives are it’s closer to downtown. It’s closer to downtown than Arlington Heights would be. It’s in fact 30 minutes closer to downtown than where the Bears training facility is on the north side in Lake Forest where I lived. You get the unique opportunity. It’s almost like I’m going to use the phrase, I don’t fully understand it, but I’m going to use the phrase manifest destiny. Okay? Remember when people were just moving west and they’re like, I’m going to put a flag down here.”“This looks like a nice little hill. This is my hill. I’m going to call it Johnny’s Hill. You know, like I think about all the it’s the American dream. Well, you know what? It didn’t work out in Chicago. So, just follow that coast south down to Hammond, Indiana. And I can promise you this, if they do it the right way, like a number of these teams have done, you get the opportunity to have a state-of-the-art venue for anything that you want. You get the opportunity to own your stadium and the land around it outright. You get to make it exactly how you want to make it. And I’ve heard a lot of things about Hammond, Indiana. More often than not, not good things. But I can guarantee you this. There are people, there are kids, there are generations of Bears fans that are down there that are so excited to welcome you and show you that area with open arms and you get to make it yours.”“Now, I know that’s a slap in the face to a lot of people, including myself, but it’s time to get to the next level. And they can do that there. Winning to me, what does success look like to me? It looks like a quarterback that’s on schedule in first and second down and continues to do what he does on third down and in the fourth quarter. I think building a defense that can stop the run and rush the passer on third down and got to have it rush downs. That would be great. I think everything is moving in the right direction and I think this Hammond, Indiana thing is a unique opportunity for the Bears to really take the next step.”“I remember when St. Louis moved to LA, and granted, it was a lot more miles for that move. They become a serious contender overnight and the Bears already are a serious contender. So imagine what happens if you pump some caffeine into that.”  #Kyle #Long #optimistic #Bears #moving #Hammond #Indiana

Lionel Messi found the net with his third touch in the FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match between Argentina and Iceland in Alabama, USA on Tuesday.

Messi marked his return from a muscle strain by scoring from the penalty spot in the 71st minute, just seconds after coming off the bench. The Argentine sent fans into raptures with an emphatic finish from 12 yards.

It was Messi’s 911th career goal for club and country and 117th goal for Argentina and made him the oldest scorer in the country’s football history.

Messi did not play in Argentina’s friendly win over Honduras on Saturday.

Published on Jun 10, 2026

#WATCH #Lionel #Messi #scores #Argentina #Iceland #FIFA #World #Cup #warmup #match">WATCH: Lionel Messi scores in Argentina vs Iceland FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match  Lionel Messi found the net with his third touch in the FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match between Argentina and Iceland in Alabama, USA on Tuesday.Messi marked his return from a muscle strain by scoring from the penalty spot in the 71st minute, just seconds after coming off the bench. The Argentine sent fans into raptures with an emphatic finish from 12 yards.pic.twitter.com/Y5URIeyx53— Messi World (@MessiWorld101) June 10, 2026It was Messi’s 911th career goal for club and country and 117th goal for Argentina and made him the oldest scorer in the country’s football history.Messi did not play in Argentina’s friendly win over Honduras on Saturday.Published on Jun 10, 2026  #WATCH #Lionel #Messi #scores #Argentina #Iceland #FIFA #World #Cup #warmup #match

It was Messi’s 911th career goal for club and country and 117th goal for Argentina and made him the oldest scorer in the country’s football history.

Messi did not play in Argentina’s friendly win over Honduras on Saturday.

Published on Jun 10, 2026

#WATCH #Lionel #Messi #scores #Argentina #Iceland #FIFA #World #Cup #warmup #match">WATCH: Lionel Messi scores in Argentina vs Iceland FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match

Lionel Messi found the net with his third touch in the FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match between Argentina and Iceland in Alabama, USA on Tuesday.

Messi marked his return from a muscle strain by scoring from the penalty spot in the 71st minute, just seconds after coming off the bench. The Argentine sent fans into raptures with an emphatic finish from 12 yards.

It was Messi’s 911th career goal for club and country and 117th goal for Argentina and made him the oldest scorer in the country’s football history.

Messi did not play in Argentina’s friendly win over Honduras on Saturday.

Published on Jun 10, 2026

#WATCH #Lionel #Messi #scores #Argentina #Iceland #FIFA #World #Cup #warmup #match

Post Comment