Bologna, Italiano backs closing transfer window before Serie A starts | OneFootball

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Bologna, Italiano's proposal (echoing Tudor): close the transfer market before the start of Serie A?

The debate is reignited: is a transfer market open during the season really necessary? Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano has launched an appeal that is sparking discussion throughout the Italian football world: why not return to the 2018/19 model, when the summer transfer window closed on August 18, on the eve of the first matchday of the season?

The 2018 precedent: an isolated episode

That season was an exception in the modern football landscape: the transfer market closed before the official start of Serie A, giving coaches the opportunity to work with definitive squads from the beginning and minimizing tensions and uncertainties. However, the experiment was not repeated: since 2019, the traditional calendar has been reinstated, in line with other major European leagues.

Italiano's words: "Open transfer market? Sheer madness"

After the match against Roma, Italiano was clear:

"The open transfer market during the season is sheer madness. There are players who talk to their agents before matches, others who want to leave or don't feel like playing. It becomes impossible to work."

A concept shared by Igor Tudor and other coaches who face the same difficulties: managing distracted players, uncertain about their future or fearful of injuries that could jeopardize an imminent transfer.

Pros and cons of early closure

Closing the transfer market before the season would have several advantages:

greater serenity for coaches and players;

teams ready from the first matchday;

less speculation and "empty" negotiations in the final weeks.

However, there are also drawbacks: clubs would lose the opportunity to correct evident gaps after the first official matches and react to last-minute injuries. Moreover, early closure would need to be shared at the European level to avoid competitive imbalances.

An idea to be relaunched at the European level?

In 2018/19, Italy followed the line set by the Premier League, but today all major European leagues close the transfer market between August 31 and September 1. A change in the rules would require a common push, perhaps led by UEFA, to harmonize the dates without penalizing any league.

Conclusions

Italiano's appeal brings back to the center of the debate a topic that concerns not only Serie A, but the entire football system. A shorter transfer market, which closes before the start of the season, could restore technical and mental stability to teams and fans. It remains to be seen if Europe is ready to change course.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.