The Italian Antitrust Authority says that the decisions adopted by the Italian Football Association to regulate access to some football professions are a competition restraint by object
Do the conditions for access to certain football professions laid down by the Italian football association (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio or FIGC) infringe competition? This was the question dealt with by the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) in the case I812, FIGC Regolamentazionedell’attività di direttore sportivo, collaboratore della gestione sportive,osservatore calcistico e match analyst (FIGC) . Eventually, the ICA took the position that the measures adopted by the FIGC amounted to a competition restraint by object in breach of Article 101 TFEU. It then closed the antitrust investigation by an infringement decision, levying a € 3.3 million on FIGC. More specifically, the target of the ICA investigation in the FIGC case was the measures taken by the Italian football association to determine the conditions for access to a number of professional activities concerning the football sector. These professions were: sporting manager (to be exercised in clubs playing in the t...