A 16-team Serie A? Napoli president proposes radical changes to Italian football and 'revolutionary reforms to cure broken European system'

In an interview with Sette, the outspoken club owner discussed a range of issues affecting the game, from the structural format of Serie A to the distribution of television rights and the overall governance of European football. He further claimed his statements might sound controversial but it's aimed at "curing" a broken system and have reignited a long-standing debate about the changes needed to revitalise the game in Italy.

De Laurentiis' proposals stem from a belief that the entire European football system is fundamentally flawed and unsustainable. He argues that an increasing number of matches puts an immense strain on players, who are a club's most valuable asset, leading to burnout and a decrease in their market value. By reducing Serie A to 16 teams, he says, the quality of each match would increase while alleviating the fixture congestion. He also believes the current television rights model, which relies on pay-TV subscriptions, is hurting the league's commercial credibility by alienating a large portion of the fanbase. His solution to broadcast games free-to-air on national television, funded by advertising, is a "revolutionary" idea he believes would skyrocket ratings and re-engage fans.

In addition to his revolutionary ideas for the league, De Laurentiis also criticised the current governance of Italian football, lamenting the lack of direct participation by club owners.

"The system is broken throughout Europe, to cure the huge debts, revolutionary and rapid reforms are needed" he said. "More and more matches are being played, which require ever more players, which leads to ever greater expenses."

Discussing how he would fix the Italian top-flight, he said: "I hope for a Serie A that slims down to 16 teams, like in 1986, and that prevents the players themselves, the clubs' assets, from wearing out and losing their value. A 16-team tournament would also avoid those matches with just a few thousand TV spectators that undermine the commercial credibility of our football. Many argue that this would reduce revenue, but that's not true, because it would increase the value of other matches."

He further spoke about the changes that can be brough on for TV distribution stating: "The time is ripe for [prime minister] Giorgia Meloni to remove RAI's advertising cap and use advertising revenue to finance the entire Serie A, which would be broadcast free-to-air, splitting the championship between RAI and Mediaset. Italians would be thrilled to be able to watch every match for free, and the ratings would skyrocket.

"The money allocated by television and platforms to tournaments organized by FIFA and UEFA diverts resources from national leagues. So there are two solutions: either go free-to-air, giving the clubs advertising revenue, or target fans through pay-per-view, so that in addition to selling tickets for the real stadium, they can also sell tickets for the virtual stadium. But I'm not under any illusions about the possibility of politicians forcing RAI and Mediaset to televise Serie A matches. They're ignoring an important fact: football could bring 30 million fans to the polls."

While De Laurentiis continues to dream of a reduced Serie A, he will hope his side manage to endure another intense season under Antonio Conte as they look to keep their league title and aim to go far in Europe. 

Additional reporting by Alessandro De Felice.