Serie A vote to buy Fantacalcio majority as Simonelli calls for broader VAR use

Serie A clubs have approved the league’s acquisition of a majority stake in the company behind Fantasy Football Fantacalcio.it, with president Ezio Simonelli saying the move will allow the competition to develop the game using official images and expand it internationally.The decision was confirmed after a league assembly in Milan, and supports Serie A's plans to diversify its revenue streams,with Fantacalcio's revenue increasing dramatically, from €1.2 million in 2015 to over €9 million expected ten years later.Simonelli said: “In today’s assembly we took a series of decisions, the most important is the one relating to the fantasy football game. Lega Calcio Serie A has in fact resolved, with 15 votes in favour, three against and two abstentions, the acquisition of the majority of the company that holds Fantacalcio.it and the related applications.“The product will be increasingly attractive for users, with the possibility of enriching it with our images and developing it abroad.”Simonelli also used the briefing to address renewed debate around VAR after a high-profile incident involving Alessandro Bastoni and Pierre Kalulu, arguing that existing limits on interventions risk undermining trust.He said: “It has already been analysed from every point of view. We need to avoid these episodes happening again in the future. I believe that Italy, from the start, fought to get IFAB to change the rule that does not allow VAR to be used for second yellow cards to correct errors.“We are for trying to have the most correct decisions possible and VAR must help us in all situations, it cannot be limited by a protocol.”.Simonelli said the league has set a meeting for 23 March involving club representatives, coaches and referees, alongside refereeing officials Gianluca Rocchi and Gianluca De Marco, with the aim of improving consistency in decision-making.The assembly also included a visit from AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale, with Simonelli saying the league discussed potential projects in the United States alongside Serie A chief executive Luigi De Siervo and Milan president Paolo Scaroni.Fantacalcio is a registered trademark and it's estimated that around 90 percent of people who play in Italy use the company's official app or website.