Fiorentina open doors to new Viola Park complex

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Viola Park
Image credit: FIFA

Fiorentina’s new Viola Park training facility in Italy’s Serie A has officially opened, and the complex includes two mini-stadiums.

Viola Park, located east of Florence, will be the new home for the club’s women’s and youth teams, as well as the men’s team’s training facility. The complex has two stadiums (one with 3,000 seats and one with 1,500) and 10 pitches, as well as several other club amenities such as office space, media facilities, and a chapel.

The club celebrated the launch with a stunning drone show, which concluded a ceremony that included a video greeting from FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“The challenge nowadays for all clubs is to modernise while respecting football’s great traditions, and this new training ground and club headquarters will take Fiorentina firmly into the future,” he said via press release.

“Viola Park is a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility. It represents an investment – not only for professional football, but also for youth football – and I am especially pleased that the women’s teams will also have use of these facilities.

“I have visited many sports centres, but this one that my very dear friend [Fiorentina owner] Rocco [Commisso] has built here, is a world-beater and I can’t wait to come back to Florence to see the finished version.”

The project, which has a budget of at least €75 million ($125 million) and was initially announced almost three years ago to the day, has been funded by Commisso’s family.

Separately, Fiorentina intends to renovate its Stadio Artemio Franchi, which opened in 1931 and has a current capacity of roughly 43,000 people. The Franchi is owned by the municipality, which is heading the proposed rehabilitation project.

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Mitre Extends Role as Queensland Football’s Official Ball

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Image credit: Football Queensland

Football Queensland has extended its partnership with Mitre as the official ball partner and main ball supplier to the Queensland football community until 2028.

Mitre footballs will continue to supply the official competition ball for the NPL Queensland, FQPL leagues and FQ Academy leagues and events.

Football Queensland CEO, Robert Cavallucci, expressed his enthusiasm for the renewal between FQ and Mitre and their continued support of the Queensland football community.

“Since first announcing our partnership three years ago, football in Queensland has experienced tremendous growth, and Mitre has stood alongside us and our clubs every step of the way,” he said in a press release.

“This renewed partnership ensures that our community will continue to have access to high-quality equipment so that all our players and clubs across Queensland can enjoy the beautiful game at its best, no matter where they are.”

Since 2017, Mitre has expanded its partnerships to state member federations in Australia by being the official match ball of NPL NSW, NPL Victoria, Football West and NPL NNSW.

The Ultimax Pro is one of the most popular football’s for Mitre. It features hyperflow debossed grooves across the ball and utilises thermally bonded construction technology for enhanced shape retention and durability.

Mitre Australia’s Director of Sportsmart Group, Gerrard Woods, was also excited about the partnership renewal with Football Queensland.

“Mitre has a long history in the game, and we’re committed to ensuring that all players and clubs can enjoy the great game with the very best equipment,” Woods said in a press release.

“Together with Football Queensland, we look forward to building on the growth of recent years as we work together to help the game reach even greater heights across the state.”

Mitre has become a vital part of the Australian football ecosystem with their quality match balls and unwavering loyalty to multiple different state federations. This ends up being an obvious decision for Football Queensland who maintain the strong connection with Mitre for another three seasons at least.

Leverkusen CEO Calls for Global Salary Cap to Level Football

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Image Credit: Ralf Ibing – firo sportphoto/Getty Images

Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has called for the introduction of a global salary cap, modelled on the NBA system, in an effort to reduce the Premier League’s financial dominance and restore competitive balance across European football.

Carro’s proposal centres on creating an international wage ceiling that would apply equally to all clubs, ensuring a level playing field for teams regardless of league or market size.

He emphasised that the concept could only succeed if implemented globally, preventing clubs in wealthier leagues from gaining an unfair advantage.

While UEFA already enforces spending controls linked to club revenues, financial inequality across Europe continues to widen. In the 2023/24 season, the Premier League generated more than €7.1 billion in revenue which is nearly double that of the Bundesliga, which brought in around €3.6 billion.

This revenue gap allows English clubs to consistently outspend their continental rivals in transfer fees and wages.

Carro’s comments have reignited discussions around financial sustainability and competitive fairness in football, raising the question of whether sweeping reform is necessary to preserve balance within the global game.

Carro spoke at the Bloomberg Future of Finance congress in Frankfurt where he warned that the Premier League’s financial power could soon overshadow even the UEFA Champions League.

“The Premier League wants to become the number one product in Europe, even ahead of the Champions League,” he said at the event.

“English clubs easily outstrip their competitors in terms of revenue. I’m usually against regulation, but this is something we have to try.”

A global salary cap could help narrow the economic divide between leagues and promote greater equality across world football. However, critics argue that it risks undermining the traditional open-market structure that has long defined European football.

By borrowing from the American sporting model, such a move could represent a major cultural shift away from the continent’s deep-rooted footballing traditions.

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