€100,000 scandal! Switzerland demands hefty compensation from Italy's new national-team prospect

The Swiss are not prepared to simply let go of a player they have invested heavily in for years.

Details: According to the respected newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, the Swiss Football Association was deeply angered by 20-year-old midfielder Alessandro Romano's decision to represent Italy at international level. The federation believes it has been wronged and is seriously considering demanding around €100,000 in compensation from the young midfielder for the investment made in his development.

The reason is that the Winterthur-born player made 34 appearances for Switzerland's youth and junior national teams at various age levels and spent a considerable period in Footuro, a special individual support programme for the country's top talents. The association estimates that developing each participant in the initiative costs approximately €25,000 per year. Now, however, Italy's national team is set to benefit from the fruits of Switzerland's investment, with the promising midfielder preparing to make his senior debut.

It is worth noting that Alessandro Romano is owned by Roma, although he is spending the 2026/27 season on loan at Cagliari, who have an option to buy. In the first half of the 2025/26 season, the footballer made two Serie A appearances for Roma before spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Spezia in Serie B, where he featured in 19 matches. The respected Transfermarkt portal values the current market worth of the 20-year-old Italian defensive midfielder at €15 million.

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