“The transfer market has impoverished football”. Interview with Giorgio Perinetti

It is a constantly evolving transfer market. Sky-high prices, an ever-increasing number of stakeholders, and the upheaval caused by the Diarra ruling. “Above all,” says Giorgio Perinetti, “there is talk of a breach of EU law regarding the free movement of professionals. But in doing so, a very dangerous precedent has been set: either football maintains its own strict rules in defiance of ordinary laws, or we will plunge into utter chaos.” The Banda case, which disappeared from the radar last summer in Lecce, is a prime example. “If uncertainty also increases regarding the actual duration of contracts due to players’ fickleness, the clubs’ financial assets become even more fragile. And then we complain about the crisis in youth academies: how can we incentivise small clubs to invest in their youth sectors, training young players when you know from the outset that they will no longer belong to you, without any protection whatsoever? We need to think this through thoroughly. Otherwise, we will lose any chance of growing. Especially in Italy.”

Throughout his long career, Perinetti has served as a youth academy coordinator and sporting director. Napoli, Roma and Palermo, to name but a few. He has worked alongside ‘presidents of a bygone era’, as he calls them: Viola, Ferlaino, Sensi, Zamparini and Preziosi. “Even Boniperti, who seemed as cold as ice, wasn’t like that at all: there was a direct emotional involvement – the figure of the fan-entrepreneur, for better or for worse. Nowadays, however, most Serie A clubs are in the hands of foreign, impersonal owners. They’re unlikely to bring the same ingredients to the table. Business matters more than goals.” Today, the former executive observes the situation with a certain detachment. “Football has always gone through cycles that have been more or less favourable. The fundamental difference compared to the past lies in management priorities: once upon a time, the transfer market was geared towards building competitive teams, with a focus on assembling the squad quickly; now, the technical aspect has been supplanted by the clubs’ financial needs. This year, 9 out of 20 Serie A managers have been replaced. In previous seasons, the figures were 13 and 14: it’s hard to call that a plan.”

Performance anxiety overshadows everything else. “It starts with the first transfer rumours, then a few deals finalised in June, and a crescendo of negotiations that builds up until the end of the summer,” explains Perinetti. “Clubs are weighed down by players on exorbitant wages. Then there’s the issue of surplus players, which affects both the big and small clubs: we’ve never seen clubs like Juve or Milan having to sell first before they can buy.” And the transfer market is caught up in a dizzying race to the top, driven by the sheer scale of the Premier League. “The primary problem, therefore, is financial. How can Italian clubs tackle it? By lowering wages and reducing the number of players. The very concept of the transfer market has been turned on its head by the pursuit of profit: physical preparation lasts a week, pre-season becomes an international tour to be monetised, and throughout all this, managers are expected to keep quiet. This dynamic is an evil we have created for ourselves.” What do you mean? “We used to be scandalised by transfer fees: I still remember the 2 billion lire for Savoldi at Napoli, and Paolo Rossi at Vicenza. There was an ethical outcry, but these were still transfers between Italian clubs: money circulated within the system and the system worked. Today, unfortunately, with the advent of agents – a necessary evil – the money goes into their pockets. And it isn’t being reinvested. In fact, the problem has grown: relatives, friends, intermediaries. The role of the intermediary was originally created to resolve disputes between two clubs. Now there are additional commissions charged to the clubs themselves. We’re reaching figures that were once thought unimaginable. Figures that enrich individuals and impoverish football.”

It’s difficult to turn things round. “Our league is struggling and lagging behind many others in Europe,” admits Perinetti. “Even Turkey is overtaking us: we’re now a country that’s losing ground; we have to face up to that. So, rather than chasing unlikely dreams, we’d do better to focus on home-grown players. By becoming good scouts, nurturing young talent and capitalising on capital gains. Just as they do in the Netherlands: after all, we no longer reach the level of established top players. Competing at the very top is not our forte, partly because we often get it wrong and pay dearly for it – just think of the Arthur case. Yet we do have one added value: the tactical development of players. In that respect, we remain masters. Let’s focus on that. Missing out on three World Cups in a row is a disaster, and we’ve never really addressed the problem of how to fix it: I hope that Malagò and the new leadership manage to build something, to develop technically gifted individuals and prepare them for the big leap.’ And so we return to the start of the conversation. “This process cannot take place without greater safeguards for clubs willing to invest in their youth academies. We need to adapt to reality, but also to give each other a helping hand. That said, a lot has changed. Even my job: I used to deal with technical issues; today it’s all about the budget.” And from the way he says it, he’s glad to have lived through his time.