review the text on football on TV – Corriere.it

The phone call to Palazzo Chigi came from the offices on the highest hill: “For reasons of merit and method, it would be better to review that amendment on football…”. The moral suasion of the Quirinale technicians, as polite as they are energetic, forces the government to revise the Milleproroghe decree in the running. The order expires on February 27. The text must arrive in the Palazzo Madama hall between Tuesday and Wednesday and a stop would jeopardize many rules that the majority hold dear, including seaside resorts and smart working.

The problem is the rule that extends the contract for football television rights, which was approved by the Budget and Constitutional Affairs commissions of the Senate and which in the legislative offices of the Presidency of the Republic is considered “extraneous matter” to the decree. This is the amendment that had as its first signatory Claudio Lotito, exponent of Forza Italia and president of Lazio. The senator, who had been the protagonist of a controversy during the drafting of the budget law for the so-called soccer-saving rule, proposed as the first signatory the amendment to the Melandri law which regulates TV rights.

The substance of the amendment is that, if from the investigationsi market no more convenient solutions emerge, the current contracts with the football TV rights concessionaires – currently held by Dazn and Sky – are extended “for the necessary time and in any case no longer than the total duration of 5 years”. In short, two years beyond the three-year limit set by the Melandri Law at the time of the assignment to Dazn and Sky. Provided that the three conditions envisaged by the amendment are met: “economic reasons” must exist, one cannot go beyond five years and, third condition, a market survey must be carried out to “verify whether other operators can offer better conditions”.

The amendment of paragraph 5 of article 6 of the Milleproroghe it was approved two days ago without particular tensions within the majority. Even if the Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi, had not expressed himself in favor of extending the contracts: «Everything that helps to improve turnover on my part will always be supported. In this case there was a parliamentary initiative. Parliament is sovereign, I hope that the effect will be positive even if I don’t agree with its path». A clear no, even if expressed with diplomatic words. The majority preferred to avoid conflicts on a very delicate issue and went straight ahead. Until the quirinal came the halt, also motivated by the belief that the rights, once expired, must be put back to tender.

On the European front, meanwhile, there is still a clash between the government and the opposition. Giorgia Meloni is convinced that she has achieved “great results”. But Stefano Bonaccini, running for the leadership of the Democratic Party, thinks instead that “we are marginalizing ourselves” in Europe: “If I think that Draghi was in the photo on a train with the German and French leaders heading to Ukraine, it is evident that something is wrong”. In defense of the premier, the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanché: «In Europe we are on the right track. There has always been a preferential relationship between France and Germany».