Serie A Daily Report - 2026-09-25: Serie A joins European leagues demanding fundamental FIFA reform

Lega Serie A chief executive Luigi De Siervo joined three European league leaders in demanding FIFA governance reform on Friday, September 25. De Siervo signed a joint statement with Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, Bundesliga CEO Marc Lenz and LaLiga president Javier Tebas calling for a transparent, objective, proportionate and inclusive structure. The leagues argued that football’s foundations had been threatened by excessive presidential power and said stakeholders needed a meaningful role in decisions affecting competitions, employment and the international calendar. Their intervention followed the withdrawal of FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed commercial scheme involving private investment in World Cup rights.

The statement called for permanent representation for national associations, leagues, clubs and players, alongside evidence-based decisions and a clearer separation between FIFA’s regulatory and commercial responsibilities. The leagues also sought constitutional safeguards ensuring disciplinary matters remained insulated from political interference. Their coordinated position increased pressure on Gianni Infantino ahead of FIFA’s presidential election, while underlining Serie A’s concern that domestic competitions and players’ workloads are being shaped without sufficient league input. The demand means reform is now a central issue for the European leagues, rather than a dispute confined to individual commercial proposals.

Roma have recruited Santiago Castro and Konstantinos Koulierakis while Paulo Dybala has committed to the club until 2027, according to Yahoo Sports on Friday. The report described the moves as part of a summer rebuild under Gian Piero Gasperini after Roma secured Champions League football last season. Castro arrived from Bologna, while Koulierakis was added to strengthen the defence. Dybala’s reported decision to remain provides continuity as Gasperini begins shaping the squad around his preferred methods, with the club facing higher expectations across several competitions during the 2026-27 campaign.

The recruitment has reportedly been guided by the intensity and flexibility demanded by Gasperini’s football. Yahoo Sports said the coach wants a side capable of aggressive pressing, covering large spaces and adapting between structures, with a back three and attacking wing-backs among the principles associated with his approach. The challenge for Roma is therefore not simply adding established names, but making the new pieces function within a demanding system. Champions League qualification raises the standard, and the early construction of the squad suggests the club are planning for a heavier workload and more ambitious targets.

Claudio Ranieri said on Friday that young Italian footballers were gaining valuable playing time abroad, while arguing that youth coaches needed better pay. Ranieri, now Italy’s technical director, spoke in Rome before the national team’s Nations League meeting with Belgium and also discussed Roberto Mancini’s return to the bench. He said Mancini was excited about making a strong start, with the former Roma manager overseeing Italy’s latest attempt to rebuild. Ranieri’s comments placed player development alongside the immediate demands of the senior national team, an issue with direct relevance to the pathway provided by Serie A clubs.

The remarks pointed to a broader concern over how Italian talent is prepared for senior football. Ranieri said his staff monitored players and that there was substantial work under way, while noting that he did not personally scout them. His emphasis on footballers developing abroad suggested that regular competitive minutes remained the priority, wherever they were obtained. For Serie A, the issue is significant because clubs are central to Italy’s supply of players, yet the technical director’s comments indicated that opportunities outside the domestic league were also contributing to the national team’s development.