THEAntitrust, with an official note, has started ainvestigation against the FIGC, the Italian Football Federation, for an alleged abuse di dominant position within the organization of recreational-amateur competitions in youth sectors.
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The Authority announced this by recalling that the Figs is the main operator in the sector thanks to the special and exclusive powers of regulation and coordination in the football game activity conferred by Coni. According to the Authority, the Federation “he allegedly tried to limit the organization of amateur tournaments by youth sports promotion bodies”.
First of all, the Authority contests the FIGC's act of 3 March last with which a significant number of amateur sports associations (ASD) and their managers, affiliated with the Federation, were reported to the inter-regional federal prosecutor's office for not having requested prior authorization to participate in tournaments organized in Campania in the 2021-2022 season by some sports promotion bodies (EPS).
Antitrust, investigation launched against FIGC: the note
Furthermore, according to the Antitrust, the FIGC has inserted – in the official press releases for the youth and school sector – some provisions that impose the Eps-FIGC agreement (2021-2022 season) and the preventive authorization for the organization of recreational-amateur youth tournaments (2022-23 season), “which do not seem to find any basis in the EPS Regulations approved by CONI”.
“In particular, the provisions appear to illegitimately limit the organizational freedom of EPS, which thus have fewer possibilities to plan youth events of a recreational-amateur nature”. Today, officials of the Authority carried out inspections at the national and Campania offices of FIGC and FIGC-School Youth Sector with the assistance of the Special Antitrust Unit of the Guardia di Finanza.
Article published on May 24, 2023 - 11:35 pm
