By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Italian clubs are experiencing financial adjustments. A report by La Gazzetta dello Sport and Sportweek on Saturday revealed that total spending for the 16 teams in the 2026–27 edition of LBA UnipolSai has reached nearly €185 million.
This represents a 65% surge from the pre-pandemic era, driven by owner investments and rising revenues. Still, the growth hides a deeper issue. The Independent Commission for the Verification of the Economic and Financial Balance of Professional Sports Clubs, established by the Italian government to monitor the sustainability of professional sports, shows that 14 clubs are running a deficit.
Armani Olimpia Milan leads the league with a €40 million budget, with the EA7 brand funding about half of that amount. Virtus Costa Bologna follows in second place but has scaled back from €32 million last season down to €25 million this year.
Behind the EuroLeague teams, BKT EuroCup’s Baglietto Derthona Tortona takes third place at €14.5 million.
With the capital seeing a resurgence, BC Roma, initially known as Roma SPQR, holds a €12 million budget, while Maxima Roma sits at €10 million.
Longobardi Scafati operates with the lowest numbers at €3.7 million.
| Team | Budget (in millions €) |
|---|---|
| Armani Olimpia Milan | 40 |
| Virtus Costa Bologna | 25 |
| Baglietto Derthona Tortona | 14.5 |
| BC Roma | 12 |
| Umana Reyer Venice | 11 |
| Maxima Roma | 10 |
| Napoli | 10 |
| Openjobmetis Varese | 10 |
| UnaHotels Reggio Emilia | 9 |
| Acqua S.Bernardo Cantu | 7 |
| Dolomiti Energia Trento | 7 |
| Tezenis Verona | 6.5 |
| APU Old Wild West Udine | 6.1 |
| Nutribullet Treviso | 6 |
| Trieste | 6 |
| Longobardi Scafati | 3.7 |
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