Italian youth football at risk without reform, warns regional chief
Valentina Battistini, president of the Lombardy Regional Committee of the Italian Football Federation (LND), has issued a stark warning that Italy risks missing future World Cups unless urgent reforms are made to youth development regulations. Speaking in an interview, Battistini identified the annual contractual bond for young players as the most critical issue requiring immediate government intervention.
Battistini argued that the current one-year bond, established by the 2021 Sports Reform decree, must be restored to a three-year term to incentivize clubs to invest in talent. She stated that without the security of a longer bond, clubs have little financial motivation to develop players, as they can leave freely every June. This system, she claims, undermines the youth sectors that produce future national team players.
According to Battistini, the cost of developing a high-level athlete is significant, requiring investment in facilities and specialists like preparators and nutritionists. The short-term bond makes this investment economically unviable for many clubs. She acknowledged that the previous eight-year bond was excessive but insists the three-year model is a necessary compromise to allow structured technical projects to flourish.
Beyond the contractual issue, Battistini highlighted other systemic problems. She pointed to increased operational costs for federations with professional sectors, like the FIGC, which are now subject to standard labor laws. She also called for a framework law to standardize and extend the management terms for sports facilities, currently subject to inconsistent and short-term municipal tenders, which she says discourages private investment.
Addressing the perception of a decline in youth participation, Battistini contested that Italy lacks talented players. Instead, she blamed outdated federal norms that hinder development, citing the example of Under-13s being forced to play 9-a-side matches when children naturally play in larger groups. She also refuted claims that football has become a sport for the wealthy, noting that annual fees can range from 120 to 600 euros, but conceded that lower fees often correlate with lower quality due to a lack of funding.
Battistini concluded that the focus must return to technical training over immediate results and winning. She lamented a trend where clubs seek physically developed foreign players for instant impact rather than cultivating technical Italian talent, a shift she believes has long-term consequences for the national team's style and success. Her call for a comprehensive technical reform, developed through a roundtable with all football stakeholders and the government within 60 days, frames the current situation as a preventable crisis.
