Italian Football Federation To Ban Clubs From Co-Owning Players

Italy is to ban clubs from co-owning players, saying that "the practice is out of line with the rest of Europe," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Giancarlo Abete said on the organization's website, "From the next transfer window onwards, the co-ownership of players will no longer be possible. This has been questioned many times by public opinion and it is also evident that it is atypical compared to the rest of Europe" (REUTERS, 5/28). ESPN's Ben Gladwell wrote a one-year grace period "is to be allowed by the FIGC, bringing an end to a practice that is unique to Italian football and sees a summer scramble of exchanges with clubs given the chance to value their half of a player's registration with the highest bidder earning outright ownership." Abete said, "Those agreements already in existence can still be extended for one more year" (ESPN, 5/28).