No more magistrates in sports justice and new funding for Serie C: the Chamber of Deputies gives the green light to the Sports Decree-Law
The original measures remain in place, such as the preferential tax regime for the 2027 America’s Cup in Naples
Key points
Whether they are ordinary, administrative or accounting judges, the era of magistrates in sports justice is coming to an end. This is the most significant change introduced by the Sports Decree (Decree-Law 108/2026) following its initial approval in Parliament. The most recent development, however, came at the very last minute and concerns the crackdown on safety in swimming pools.
The decree, which introduces new provisions for major sporting events, regulates the Shooting Federation and also includes some changes to identity cards, was approved by the Chamber of Deputies with 128 votes in favour and 81 against (2 abstentions) and now passes to the Senate.
No more magistrates in sports justice
The most significant change, as mentioned, concerns sports justice: from now on, magistrates — ordinary, administrative and accounting — will no longer be permitted to sit on the judicial bodies of federations whose professional clubs are subject to scrutiny by the Independent Commission for the Verification of Economic and Financial Balance.
Funding also for Lega Pro
The allocation of funds to football is also changing. The original text would have taken 1 per cent of the revenue from broadcasting rights away from the FIGC, to be allocated in full to the organisers of the women’s Serie A league.
The approved amendment divides that sum (around 10 million euros) in half: 0.5 per cent to the Women’s Serie A, and 0.5 per cent to Serie C, earmarked for the development of the clubs’ youth sectors — both male and female — as well as for investment in infrastructure and the training of coaches.
