On September 18, 2018, LUISS and Deloitte presented the first Observatory for Ethics, Sports and the Economy.
The objective of the observatory is to supply the instruments necessary to promote a better understanding of the social and economic role of the sports industry. In honor of the event, Deloitte presented new research entitled: Soccer in Italy: a social and business phenomenon to promote.
In recent years, sports, and soccer, in particular, have evolved completely, including the economic point of view to become a solid business. In 2017 alone, Italian soccer moved €1.3 billion and contributed €1.3 billion in tax revenue. At the same time, Italian Serie A clubs generate less than the other principal European leagues (€2.1 billion vs. €5.3 billion from the Premier League) and not all teams are always able to turn a profit (60% of Italian clubs vs. 90% in Premier League).
Participating in the event were: LUISS General Manager Giovanni Lo Storto, Vice Rector of Teaching, Roberto Pessi, President of Credito Sportivo Andrea Abodi, Deloitte Senior Executive Monitor Cristiano Gianni and LUISS soccer coach Roberto Rambaudi.
Also present for the roundtable were numerous LUISS Sport stakeholders and partners, including Intesa Sanpaolo, UnipolSai, Volvo, Eurosport and Infront.
From an economic point of view, sports are an important industry in Italy, requiring careful revision of their business model. According to the latest data, in Italy there are 35,000 businesses operating in the sector with over 100,000 employees (representing .53% of the country’s employees compared to a European average of .76%). Active companies generate €4.5 billion with total earnings of €14 billion.
The establishment of an observatory dedicated to the study and analysis of large sporting events offers a glace on new business models for a sector that requires innovation to fully realize its potential, to generate new forms of revenue, new means of financing and better athletic results.
Starting in 2018-2019, LUISS Sport, in collaboration with Deloitte, thus offers an informative and indispensable service on themes of culture and ethics in both sports and the economy to offer theoretical and practical support to social policy to increase understanding of sports through rigorous research.