The SFS 26 continues without pause. In the Legend Nord hall, Sport Mediaset journalist Eva Gini hosted the panel titled "From the pitch to business: the challenge of football between entertainment and sustainability."
Guests included Gabriele Nicolella, General Secretary of LNPB; Paolo Bedin, President of LNPB; Jacopo Carmassi, analyst and economist; Francesco Terrazzani, Chief Executive Officer of Como 1907; and Carlalberto Ludi, Sporting Director of Como 1907. Opening the session was Gabriele Nicolella, founder of Leap Sport Academy, who welcomed and thanked the guests while setting the stage for the panel’s key topics: showmanship, entertainment, and economics.
Among the standout topics, as highlighted by Eva Gini, was the presentation of the book "Fuorigioco Finanziario" (Financial Offside), written by Paolo Bedin, Jacopo Carmassi, and Vincenzo Loi. LNPB President Bedin explained its origins and core contents: “Through meticulous work, we attempted to extract specific economic data from various leagues—both Italian and international—to compare them and work on improving certain dynamics that may not be functioning properly in Italy today.”
Next to speak was Jacopo Carmassi: “The issue of financial offside isn’t just an Italian problem; we share this challenge across Europe. We are talking about hundreds of millions in losses, as seen in the Premier League, which, despite generating 9 billion euros a year, operates at a constant, heavy loss. We set out to understand how these financial "holes" are generated and how they can be resolved. In Spain and Germany, by contrast, they attempt preventive interventions to keep clubs from running at a loss.” When discussing financial models, Como 1907 inevitably comes up, having distinguished itself positively on this front in recent years.
Its CEO, Francesco Terrazzani, stated: “Striving to do great work economically, but we want to improve further. For instance, regarding sustainability, we still have a long way to go. We certainly invest in our primary assets, such as the Lake—creating exclusive experiences for fans—or the Sky Lounge, which we rent out year-round as the only club in Italy to do so. Fans can use it to host birthdays, meetings, and much more, according to their needs. Furthermore, we opened our official store to sell shirts of other Serie A teams as well, aiming to boost not just Como, but the entire Lega Calcio Serie A overall.”
Carlalberto Ludi, Sporting Director of Como 1907, wrapped up the first round of speeches: “From my perspective, combining economics and sustainability comes down to multiple factors: investing in the youth academy, building a positive environment, and clearly finding the right balance of talent and experience to deliver desired results sustainably.” Prompted by questions from Eva Gini, Bedin and Carmassi delved deeper into the specific situations of major European clubs, emphasizing that the landscape remains fragmented without a single defined trend.
As Carmassi stated: “Over the past 10 years, Spanish and English teams have won the majority of European Cups by spending heavily—too heavily, especially in the case of English clubs. This creates a clear competitive disadvantage, because lighter financial regulations in each country make it easier to bypass controls, as in England. That is why I believe the solution lies in standardizing the most impactful rules, ensuring clubs operating correctly and sustainably aren't put at a disadvantage.
“Returning to the sporting aspect, Ludi concluded: “We only want to buy future champions. Como 1907 follows an approach focused on identifying smart deals through objective analysis, minimizing risk margins as much as possible. Through technical, tactical, and human profiling, we ensure that new signings fully integrate into our club. This method is working, and I believe it can serve other teams in our league as well.”
A comprehensive talk spanning economics, sustainability, and pitch action, reaffirming once again how meticulous work is essential to blend sporting growth, financial stability, and business model innovation in modern football.