By Andrea Caropreso
Index
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The 2024/25 Serie A season is approaching its end, and with the exception of Monza, the final verdicts are still unclear. Many teams remain embroiled in the battle to avoid relegation. Three of them will inevitably leave the top flight, with Monza already confirmed as one. However, it’s important to remember the existence of the so-called “parachute” system, which aims to soften the financial gap between Serie A and Serie B in terms of costs and revenues.
How the parachute works
The parachute system for relegated teams involves financial support promoted by Serie A and introduced in 2009 to ease the blow of relegation. However, the amount is not the same for every team. One of the determining factors is the club’s history in the top flight. In other words, the number of years a club has played in Serie A is taken into account to allocate a certain amount.
The allocated budget is around €60 million, according to figures from last season. This fund is not fixed and has increased over time based on TV rights revenue, sponsorships, and other factors that have influenced Serie A’s overall wealth.
Tier divisions
To determine the specific amount a relegated club is entitled to, teams are placed into three tiers: A, B, and C.
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Tier A includes clubs with only one season in Serie A over the last four years. For example, Como would have fallen into this tier had they not secured survival. Based on last season’s standards, the payout would be around €10 million—just enough to partially offset the gap between the top flight and Serie B.
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Tier B covers clubs that have played in Serie A for at least three seasons over the last four, not necessarily consecutively. In this case, the support rises to around €15 million.
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Tier C is for clubs with the longest presence in the top division—specifically, those with three seasons in Serie A (even non-consecutive) within the last four years. This tier receives the highest payout.
It’s worth noting that the full fund may not always be used. For instance, if all three relegated teams fall into Tier A, the total payout would only be €30 million. In that case, the remaining budget would roll over to the next season, up to a cap of €75 million.
Financial and sporting impact on clubs
On average, relegation impacts a club’s revenue by about 40%. However, this figure barely covers the increased operational costs between the two divisions (such as salaries and amortizations). Even so, the parachute system remains a vital tool for relegated teams. In many cases, it has given clubs a sporting edge, allowing them to quickly return to Serie A.
Despite this season’s outlier scenario—with Salernitana and Frosinone facing a play-off to avoid dropping to Serie C—the general trend over the past 10 years has been rapid promotion for relegated sides. Sassuolo, for example, is a textbook case.
By Andrea Caropreso
