Palermo also joins the campaign #salviamolosport.
The 245 clubs belonging to Lega Pro, Lega Basketball Serie A, Lega National Basketball, Lega Male's Volleyball and Lega Women's Volleyball, will live the darkest Christmas ever if the government doesn't intervene with concrete help. The Italian sport, the sport across the land, the Leghe, and the clubs, which represent the heart of the movement, are on the edge of a cliff by not being benefitted by public help, unlike what happened in Germany, Great Britain, and France. In Europe, actually, it was acknowledged the state of suffering of the sports clubs which, by doing an unmatched social role, are carrying out their own championships, after an evergrowing financial problem which is putting at risk their own survival. In Italy it didn't happen.
Meanwhile, however, between added health costs for exams and the lack of incomes from box offices due to the prolongued closure of stadiums - which, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it could carry on for the whole season - tenths of clubs are at risk of closing their doors, sending to bankruptcy sports, social, and territorial heritage built in decades of activities.
Ministers Spadafora, Gualtieri, and Parliamentary exponents have received a pack of proposals containing tax reduction measures, a lost fund to deal with health costs, fundings granted by the Sports Credit Institute, guaranteed for cash demands. The clubs are appealing to the Government for some kind of relief to be given as soon as possible.
Until now, because of these realities which cannot rely on conspicuous TV revenues, the government has arranged to introduce a law which recognizes a tax credit of 50% on endorsements. But the missing approval of the implemented decree, called to resolve also some interpretative uncertainties, has created an impasse which is weakening, if not nullifying, the efficiency of the project. In the 2020/2021 sports season, the incomes from endorsement have been reduced at least one third compared to the previous season.
The alarm cry from the clubs has been picked up by the 4.0 Committee which, through a survey in which 90% of the clubs participated, has evidenced, from 95% of the respondents, the need for financial aid to complete the current sports season. For the sports clubs it is estimated a need of around 42% of the incomes from the 18/19 sports season, with an average of 623 thousand euros per person. Until now, only a third of the people have received government support to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. But the average amount of this help, for the clubs which have received it, barely covers 14% of this need.
It's time to act promptly. The urgency to receive help is being expressed by half of the clubs, which believe that they are not going to be able to resist past January with their own resources. The sacrifices made by the owners until now are not enough anymore, and it will be more dramatic if they eventually become useless. For 8 out of 10 clubs, it would be extremely helpful to receive financing from the Government, a check to overcome this difficult moment, later reimbursed in a reasonable amount of time, and most of all, against the task of undertaking, also thanks to this aid, a virtuous path of restart based on sustainability.
77 clubs, equivalent to one third of the audience, will probably not register themselves for the next sports season, due to the lack of governmental financing.
The survey speaks clearly. There is no more time, and concrete actions are needed. The clubs are asking for the sport to be saved (#salviamolosport): thousands of jobs are at risk, from athletes to staff members, as well as the social role played by the clubs, especially in benefit of the young ones. Finally, the tax revenue of around 23 million euros, generated by these sports clubs, is at risk of disappearing.