Napoli under pressure: new wage rules threaten zero-budget transfers | OneFootball

Napoli might be forced to operate in the upcoming January transfer market with the constraint of a zero balance. This is not an unfounded rumor: the new criteria introduced in the economic-financial control system, inspired by UEFA regulations, are creating challenges for several Serie A clubs, including Aurelio De Laurentiis' club.

Napoli, risk of a zero balance market: new labor cost parameters put pressure on De Laurentiis' club

The changes concern the liquidity index, already known to Italian clubs, but now accompanied by two new indicators:

the debt index

Expanded Labor Cost: the new parameter that can block the market of six Serie A clubs

the expanded labor cost (Cla), which is the ratio between the total costs of the squad – salaries, commissions, amortizations – and the revenues generated from TV rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the Cla parameter is the most restrictive and is based on UEFA's “squad cost rule,” which from 2023-24 has started progressively reducing the threshold of sustainable costs, aiming for 70 percent of the ratio between expenses and revenues. In Italy, the threshold is set at 0.8, a limit that puts at least six or seven clubs under scrutiny.

Napoli falls into the at-risk group despite historically careful management: the wage bill has grown significantly, as have the amortizations linked to recent acquisitions. An increase in costs that, combined with the last budget closed at a loss, brings the club closer to the limits of the new system.

What happens if Napoli does not meet the parameters

The clubs have submitted the documentation to the new commission established by ministers Abodi and Giorgetti, chaired by Atelli, which has replaced Covisoc. The verdict will arrive by mid-December.

If Napoli is found to be outside the parameters, the so-called “soft block” would be triggered:

market open,

but the obligation to close the session with a zero balance,

meaning without being able to generate an increase in overall costs.

In practice: every purchase must correspond to a sale or an equivalent cost reduction.

Not only Napoli: Lazio and other clubs are also exposed

Napoli is not the only club involved. Lazio, for example, is at risk due to revenue contraction. In September, preliminary measurements indicated difficulties for Sassuolo, Genoa, Pisa, Torino, Roma, and Fiorentina. Some of these clubs, like Roma, have managed to comply by directly injecting fresh capital from the ownership.

The club's position: trust in the commission

Napoli, with a long-term solid financial management reputation, trusts in the commission's evaluation, which is considered to have a pragmatic approach. However, the rigidity of the new labor cost parameter remains a concrete obstacle.

What to expect in January

If confirmed, the zero balance constraint could influence Napoli's strategies in the repair market, limiting potential investments and making targeted, sustainable operations or significant exits more likely.

The verdict expected by mid-December will be crucial to understanding De Laurentiis' club's real freedom of action in the winter session and, more generally, to measure the impact of the new criteria on the entire Serie A system.

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