A number of Serie A clubs have been involved in an interesting situation in recent weeks, as the clubs have come under increasing pressure from the Italian government to do more to combat piracy.
This has led to several clubs, such as Juventus, Udinese and Lazio, announcing the closure of their respective online streaming services, with some even stating that they have decided to cease operations altogether.
This week, a report has emerged that a number of the clubs in Serie B, the top division of the Italian footballing pyramid, have already been forced to close their online streaming sites.
According to Italian media outlet Il Messaggero, the Italian Football Federation (FFI) has informed the Serie A club clubs that their respective streaming services will be terminated and that the companies will be required to pay an additional fee of 500,000 euros per year for the duration of their contracts.
The FFI said that the reason for this decision was the increasing number of legal cases relating to the piracy of digital music.
Il Messaggeros sources added that the FFI has not yet informed any of the Serie B clubs about this decision.
This is the first time that the Serie C clubs have received such a directive, as they have been forced by the Italian authorities to cut ties with their respective websites, as well as the closure and termination of their streaming services.
This news comes just a week after the FIFI issued a directive stating that any streaming site, regardless of its size, must be linked to the Italian legal market, and to comply with Italian copyright laws.
This was a clear reference to the use of the Spotify and Apple Music streaming services by many Serie A and B clubs, which have been accused of infringing copyright laws in Europe.
As a result of the legal action taken against them, many clubs have taken a decision to either shut down their websites or cease operations entirely.
This decision was seen as a significant setback to the careers of some of the club’s top players, such Alessandro Del Piero and Giorgio Chiellini.
Both players were recently suspended from their respective clubs for five years, following allegations of copyright infringement.
This, of course, came as no surprise to the club owners, as their clubs have long been accused by the FIFA of abusing their dominance of Serie B.
However, these developments have also come as a blow to the clubs’ financial standing.
The owners of Juventus, Lazio and Udinese have all had to cut their losses in recent years, with Juventus recently announcing that it was dropping the Serie D title, and Laziones recently announcing the sale of its Serie B team.
In the end, these two clubs are all currently struggling to make ends meet, as it is now more difficult for them to make the necessary investments in the players that they need to maintain their financial sustainability.