Lazio, Lotito pushes anti-fund rule: amendment for club oversight | OneFootball

The president of Lazio and Forza Italia senator Claudio Lotito continues his political battle for stricter and more transparent regulation of investment funds in Italian football.

Lazio, Lotito speeds up the anti-fund regulation: an amendment for transparency and control in football clubs submitted to the budget bill

After presenting a bill dedicated to the governance of professional clubs on August 5th, Lotito has submitted an amendment to the budget law that fully incorporates the contents of the proposed regulation.

The declared goal is clear: to increase transparency in the ownership and management of football clubs, prevent opaque structures, and curb potential conflicts of interest. A measure that, if approved, would significantly change the ownership structure of many Italian clubs.

What the regulation entails: obligations for foreign funds and full traceability

The text introduces a series of stringent obligations aimed at foreign entities and corporate vehicles intending to invest in Italian football.

1. Establishment of an Italian law company

Anyone, among foreign entities or vehicles, acquiring at least 5% of a football team must:

establish within 90 days an Italian law company with a registered office in the country;

appoint a legal representative residing in Italy.

The regulation specifically concerns investment funds, trusts, and companies registered abroad that directly or indirectly hold shares in Italian clubs.

Total transparency of owners: what changes for clubs

Professional clubs will have new traceability and communication obligations.

Mandatory annual communications

Each company must send to:

FIGC

Relevant league

ANAC

the complete list of individuals or legal entities owning at least 5% of the share capital or voting rights, even indirectly.

Clubs must also disclose the origin of the funds used for acquiring the shares.

Online publication

The information will be published on the official websites of:

FIGC

Professional leagues

to ensure maximum transparency for fans, investors, and regulatory bodies.

Severe penalties for non-compliance

The legislative device provides a particularly strict system of penalties.

Failure to communicate or delays

Administrative fines ranging from 1 to 5 million euros, imposed by FIGC with binding opinion from ANAC.

For those selling shares, an obligation to communicate the real identity of the buyer to the federation.

For clubs, an obligation to communicate within seven days of the sale or the entry into force of the regulation.

Repeated non-compliance

If the company does not comply within the terms:

a fine of 1 million euros for each week of delay;

possible suspension of voting rights for the foreign fund;

criminal liability of the club's legal representative in case of willful omission, with a risk of imprisonment for up to one year.

The role of ANAC

The proposal assigns a central role to the National Anti-Corruption Authority:

oversight of compliance with obligations;

sending reports to FIGC and the judicial authority;

collaboration with the Football Federation for possible disciplinary and administrative measures.

A choice aimed at introducing control tools in the football world typically used for preventing corruption in public administrations.

The political significance of the Lotito amendment

The inclusion of the regulation in the economic maneuver represents a clear acceleration. For Lotito, the goal is to overcome the delays of the ordinary parliamentary process and quickly bring the issue to the center of the political debate on the future of Italian football.

The core of the project is clear: to make the presence of foreign capital more transparent and verifiable, reduce the risks of corporate shell games, and ensure direct responsibility in ownership transitions.

A proposal destined to spark discussion, especially at a historical moment when several Italian clubs have prominent owners or partners based abroad.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.