Italy’s football players association expressed satisfaction Friday at a government decision not to extend a tax relief measure benefiting foreign players on Italian teams.
Such players had benefited from a measure — also afforded to various university educated specialised workers — that allowed only half of their gross income to be taxable for their first five years working in Italy.
“Italian and foreign footballers will be able to compete on the same level,” the president of the Italian Football Players’ Association (AIC), Umberto Calcagno, said Friday in a statement, a day after the government decided not to extend the relief.
The previous benefit, he said, had “penalised the entire national football movement.”
“Finally, from January 1, Italian and foreign footballers will be in the same position, and I thank the government for this,” Calcagno added.
Sports Minister Andrea Abodi had been in favour of extending the tax break for footballers, but several other members of the government opposed it, including Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the anti-migrant League party, Matteo Salvini, according to Italy’s AGI news agency.
“Discounts to foreign footballers who earn millions are immoral, and clubs are now investing in young Italians”, wrote Lucca Toccalini, a League parliamentarian, Thursday.
Ansa news agency said Italy’s Serie A league expressed concern over a measure it said would have “a result diametrically opposed to the one sought: less competitiveness for the teams resulting in less income, fewer resources for young people (…) and less income for the tax authorities.”
World Cup News
-
FIFA World Cup
/ 1 week agoSaudi oil giant Aramco agrees major FIFA sponsorship deal
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Aramco and world football governing body FIFA on Thursday...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 1 month agoSon scores but Thailand hold South Korea in World Cup qualifier
Son Heung-min scored but South Korea were held 1-1 at home by Thailand in...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 2 months agoJapan-N. Korea World Cup game to stay in Pyongyang, JFA says
Japan’s World Cup qualifier against North Korea will be played in Pyongyang as planned...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 2 months agoGerman ex-FA bosses on trial over World Cup tax evasion
Three German ex-top football officials went on trial on Monday in a 13.7-million-euro ($14.8...
By AFP