How financial demands of Serie A differ from other European leagues | OneFootball

For football supporters who follow the sport beyond matchday results, they tell a story that results alone rarely capture. And here is what you need to understand first:

The Premier League makes between €7.1 billion and €7.9 billion a year. That makes it the richest league in the world by a wide margin. The money comes from TV deals, sponsors, and fans all over the globe.

Now, to Serie A: It generates just under €3 billion a year, around €2.9 billion in recent seasons. And here is where it sits: that is behind the Premier League and the Bundesliga. Moreover, it still trails La Liga, which generates around €3.7 to €4.1 billion a year.

Anything else to figure out here?

Player salary and agent financial demands

Players and agents in Serie A accept lower pay than players in England. The reason is simple: The Premier League still pays the most money, both on average and at the top level. On average, players in Serie A earn less than those in the Premier League. Pay levels are generally lower than in La Liga as well, although salaries vary widely depending on the club and the player.

This pay gap changes how Italian clubs do business. They simply cannot spend as much as English clubs do. So instead, they look for good deals. They want players who cost less but still play well, and they want payment plans that are easier on the budget.

Actually, this idea isn’t unique and applies to many other niches too, especially those related to sports and iGaming. People look for good value when money is tight. Leon Gorski, an iGaming expert reviewing every casino with a low minimum deposit, explains why his regularly updated list of such platforms becomes more popular: it lets players try online games without spending a lot up front. Serie A clubs think the same way. They try to make every euro count.

In recent transfer windows, this pay gap has been clear. Premier League clubs have regularly outbid Italian clubs for top targets because they can offer higher wages. As a result, many Serie A teams have focused on free transfers, loan deals, or lower-cost signings instead.

Here is something unique about Serie A: One rule makes it different from other leagues. Contracts signed from 2 September 2025 include an automatic relegation wage reduction unless the club and player agree to different terms in the contract. If the club is relegated, player wages are automatically reduced by 25 per cent for the following season unless a different agreement has been written into the contract.

REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – APRIL 01: Keep Racism Out logo is seen prior to the Serie A TIM match between US Sassuolo and Udinese Calcio at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on April 01, 2024 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)

The purpose is to protect clubs from paying too much after a bad season. No other big league has this rule, but even with it, Serie A clubs still spend a lot on wages. Many end up selling players just to balance the books.

League and club financial capacity

The money gap between leagues keeps growing. Here is how it breaks down:

And finally, Serie A. It makes close to €3 billion, though newer numbers show closer to €2.9 billion. Its growth has been among the slowest of Europe’s biggest leagues.

Over the past decade, the Premier League has grown much faster than Serie A, while La Liga has also expanded more quickly. Serie A has recorded one of the slowest growth rates among Europe’s biggest leagues.

Serie A clubs spend around €2 billion a year on wages. That works out to roughly two-thirds of the league’s total revenue, leaving clubs with far less financial flexibility than their Premier League rivals.

According to Deloitte Football Money League, Europe’s 20 highest-earning clubs generated more than €12 billion in revenue during the previous season. That represented growth of around 10 to 11 per cent compared with the year before. Premier League clubs took most of the top spots. Serie A clubs made the list too, just with smaller numbers next to their names.

TV money explains most of the gap

TV deals explain most of this difference. The Premier League earns much more from TV than any other league, both at home and around the world. Serie A‘s newest TV deal is worth about €900 million a year.

And here is the problem:

It fell short of what the league hoped for. Sponsorships and ticket sales also bring in more money for England and Germany. Serie A has also been slow to fix up its stadiums. That has hurt its ability to keep up.