Zazzaroni proposes: Growth Decree effective only for top players

The director of Corriere dello Sport, Ivan Zazzaroni, has shared his thoughts on the abolition of the Growth Decree in Italy’s top-tier Serie A in his editorial column.

Zazzaroni stated in his Corriere dello Sport piece that while the publication had always been against unrestricted tax benefits for ‘imported’ professionals, Italian clubs, particularly minor ones, have relied on it indiscriminately. It led to the clubs filling their squad with foreign players of questionable value, inadvertently discouraging home-grown talent, especially young players.

However, he thought the ordinance could be easily corrected to enhance the quality of their domestic football and preserve its international competitiveness. He suggested limiting its application to higher-profile players and coaches, naming individuals such as Lukaku, Giroud, Mourinho, Thuram, Tomori, and Beltran, and excluding numerous mediocre and low-level professionals. Essentially, Zazzaroni proposes a Growth Decree reserved exclusively for universally recognized excellence.