SPORTS AGENTS IN ITALY
The regulatory framework governing the profession of sports agents in Italy has undergone a comprehensive transformation as of January 2026, affecting both market access conditions and the modalities of professional practice.
This reform reflects a legislative intention to strengthen public oversight, transparency, and compliance. The cornerstone of this intervention is Implementing Decree No. 218/2025, which entered into force on 19 January 2026 and inaugurated a comprehensive reorganisation of the sector, requiring the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and national and paralympic sports federations to align their regulations by 2 August 2026.
A central element of the new legal framework is the National Register of Sports Agents, maintained by CONI and administered through a centralised digital platform. Registration in the National Register constitutes a precondition for lawful professional activity and is indispensable for carrying out sports representation within one or more national and paralympic federations. The system is structured into separate sections for individual agents, agent companies, and established agents originating from the European Union, European Economic Area, or Swiss jurisdictions, alongside a distinct list for agents operating under the domiciliation regime.
The fully digitalised system ensures traceability and transparency, allowing public consultation, enabling federations to verify candidates’ eligibility and to file electronically mandate contracts, whilst direct access by the Department for Sport of the Presidency of the Council enhances institutional oversight of the entire sector.
Professional qualification has been profoundly redesigned through the introduction of a two-tier examination system, combining general legal knowledge with sport-specific regulatory competence.
The general examination, organised by CONI at least twice a year, covers the fundamentals of sports law, private law, and administrative law, establishing the baseline legal knowledge required of agents. Only upon successful completion of this stage may the candidate proceed to the federation-specific examination, which assesses familiarity with the regulations of the relevant sport.
Admission to the general examination generally requires participation in a professional traineeship or accredited training programme, subject to case-by-case exemptions evaluated by the Commission for Sports Agents, reflecting the legislature’s emphasis on technical-professional preparation. The general examination’s validity extends over two years, permitting access to multiple federations without repetition, thereby facilitating multidisciplinary professional practice.
Concomitantly, the Decree introduces professional obligations with enduring operational significance. These include mandatory professional civil liability insurance without deductibles enforceable against third parties, with minimum annual coverage limits set by each federation, and an obligation for continuous professional development of at least twenty hours per annum, to be completed by 1 November through courses, seminars, and accredited events. Non-compliance results in removal from the Register and precludes renewal of registration, which is valid only for the calendar year, reinforcing periodic verification of professional fitness.
Market access for foreign agents is tightly regulated. The Decree establishes a clear distinction between EU/EEA/Swiss professionals and non-EU/EEA agents. The former may register as “established agents,” subject to recognition of qualifications and, where applicable, compensatory measures, or operate on a temporary basis under the freedom to provide services, albeit subject to stringent quantitative limitations. Non-EU/EEA agents may only operate under the domiciliation regime, whereby temporary activity in Italy is permitted through cooperation with a registered Italian agent. The domiciliation provisions, significantly tightened under Article 15, limit operational periods to three months, renewable once per calendar year, and require documented professional experience abroad. Overall, these rules materially restrict direct market access for non-national operators, consolidating the domestic dimension of the sports representation market.
Governance is entrusted to the Commission for Sports Agents, a collegiate body of eight members appointed by the National Board of CONI, according to principles of institutional balance. The Commission competencies extend from registration oversight to disciplinary enforcement and may be exercised through sub-committees. The inclusion of a member nominated by agents’ associations, who is not registered as a sports agent, ensures independent judgment, whilst four-year renewable mandates provide administrative continuity.
The sanctions regime introduced by the Decree is rigorous and targeted at combating unauthorised practice and contractual opacity. Violations relating to mandates, conflicts of interest, transparency obligations, and the Code of Ethics are subject to graduated sanctions, ranging from formal censure to pecuniary penalties and suspension from the Register for periods of three to thirty-six months.
Engaging in agency activity without registration constitutes not only a disciplinary violation but also the criminal offence of unlawful practice under Article 348 of the Italian Criminal Code, with mandatory reporting to the judiciary. Sports clubs and athletes, who retain unregistered agents, are likewise subject to federative sanctions, reflecting a system of shared responsibility across the sector.
The intensification of controls acquires further significance in the context of anti-mafia measures implemented in connection with the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate monitors sports intermediation activities, with particular attention to the risk of criminal infiltration in financial flows connected with transfers and commissions.
Moreover, the Decree preserves sector-specific limitations, particularly in football, regarding agent remuneration and the representation of minors, for whom remuneration cannot be charged to the minor under Legislative Decree No. 37/2021. Conflict-of-interest rules impose strict duties of loyalty and professional integrity, prohibiting inducement to breach existing agency relationships.
Sports agents operate within a broader legal ecosystem, including compliance with data protection under the General Data Protection Regulation when handling athlete and federation data, anti-corruption obligations under Legislative Decree No. 231/2001, relevant in cases of sports fraud or illicit agreements, and restrictions on betting-related sponsorships affecting marketing opportunities.
In sum, the reforms establish a regulated professional model with a high intensity of public oversight, integrating formal qualification, digital transaction traceability, and disciplinary accountability, thereby constructing a sports representation market that is both more transparent and more selective, with significant implications for competitive dynamics and international practice.
We advise on sports agents in Italy and further information is available by emailing the Head of our Italian Law Practice, Avv. Sara Botti, at botti@valloni.ch.