Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – The development of young people, the relationship between amateur and professional football, and ever-increasing synergy with Club Italia. These are the central themes of "The Future at Play," the event promoted by the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (National Amateur League) scheduled in Ferrara on October 23 and 24. LND President Giancarlo Abete explained in an interview with Adnkronos that the initiative will primarily be a moment of technical exploration and internal discussion within the governance of amateur football.
How did the Ferrara event come about and what will its main themes be?
"This is an opportunity to discuss the use and development of young players. This is a technical discussion, not a sports policy discussion, tied to recent events. We've set it up primarily as a community event within the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti leadership team.
We have invited the board members of the 20 regional committees, along with representatives of women's football, the Interregional League, and the Futsal Division. The two main areas of discussion will be the work we do within the LND for young people and our relationship with the first level of professionalism, namely Lega Pro and Serie C. For this reason, Serie C President Matteo Marani and Gianfranco Zola, who will be presenting remotely, will be involved.
Furthermore, we will deepen the relationship between Club Italia and the Lega Dilettanti teams, involving key figures such as Maurizio Viscidi, Silvio Baldini, Piscedda, and Giannichedda, to confirm our commitment to working to develop young players.
What role will Claudio Ranieri, Club Italia, and Gianfranco Zola have in the project?
We want to further strengthen our relationship with Club Italia. I spoke with Ranieri, who would have been with us if he hadn't been in England at the time, but Viscidi and Baldini were available. For me, the Federation is the Federation, and I believe it has every interest in promoting local activities. Today, compared to the past, Zola, with whom I spoke, is also involved in the federal projects dedicated to developing youth teams. He's working hard on this project for children aged 5 to 12, and the Federation is advancing the U14 project, using Serie D as a benchmark. We're working to increasingly integrate the Federation's activities with those of our national teams. The goal is to build a growing synergy between Club Italia and the Lega Dilettanti, teaming up on a technical level and sharing development paths for the youngsters.
What is the Amateur League's concrete commitment to developing young people?
We intervene on both a regulatory and financial level. In Serie D, there's a requirement to employ three young players, while in Eccellenza and Promozione, two young players are mandatory. In addition to these requirements, there are also financial rewards for clubs that employ more young players than the regulations require. These incentives total approximately €2,5 million per year and confirm the LND's commitment to investing in talent development.
Does Ferrara also represent an opportunity to strengthen dialogue with Lega Pro?
Absolutely. We believe continuity between Promozione, Eccellenza, Serie D, and Serie C is essential. It's difficult to imagine direct dialogue with the major clubs without first consolidating this network. The first level of professionalism is a natural progression. We have a positive relationship with President Marani, and the dialogue with Lega Pro is an important tool for supporting the development of young players.
Will the conference also address youth football reforms?
"Yes. One of the objectives will be to connect the work we're doing in the Promozione, Eccellenza, and Serie D levels with the so-called Zola reform, which concerns Lega Pro. Furthermore, there's growing political attention to the issue of fostering youth development. Recent parliamentary hearings revealed significant consensus on the need to further support the development of young Italian players and foster youth development."
How important is the amateur movement in the development of Italian footballers today?
The Amateur League has approximately 360 registered members, while the youth and school sectors comprise approximately 750. Considering the entire amateur football sector, we reach approximately 1,1 million registered members. It would be unthinkable and sad if a structure of this size were unable to identify and develop talent. The development of young people is a central responsibility for our entire movement.
How can we manage the growth of large companies without penalizing small territories?
This is one of the most delicate challenges. Some amateur clubs are growing and have hundreds of registered members, necessitating the development of second teams and more complex structures. At the same time, we must ensure that small towns do not lose the opportunity to field a team due to declining populations and the concentration of registered members in larger clubs. We need to find a balance between growth and local roots.
After the recent federal debate, do you think it's necessary to change the regulations regarding the registration required of the FIGC president?
This is an issue that will need to be addressed by the relevant federal bodies and, of course, by the future federal president. I would simply point out that the rule requiring membership as a requirement for candidacy for the presidency of the FIGC was introduced in 2019. I have personally read and heard many media reports on this issue, some of which have also called into question my position, as if I were not a member. I ran for president in 2007, 2009, and 2013, and the rule was introduced in 2019. It should be noted that those who hold top federal and league positions cannot be members of a sports club. Therefore, either one is not entitled to run, which is not written anywhere, or one should resign, become a member of a club for a day, and then run. This gives rise to a reflection regarding the concrete application of the rule: if a league president intends to run for the presidency of the Federation, the The challenge of reconciling the two aspects is difficult. Historically, both Carlo Tavecchio and Gabriele Gravina became presidents of the FIGC from the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti and Lega Pro, respectively. This is therefore an issue that deserves a calm and non-instrumental examination, avoiding simplistic readings or interpretations tied to current circumstances. As the saying goes: 'It's not necessary to say everything you think, but it's necessary to think everything you say.' That said, today our attention is primarily focused on the content of the Ferrara conference: the development of young people, the relationship between the Lega Dilettanti and Club Italia, the work of representative teams, and the strengthening of the network connecting grassroots football to professionalism. These are the topics on which we intend to focus the debate and our efforts in the coming months.
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