B5707 - SISTEMI DI FINANZIAMENTO DELL'IMPIANTISTICA SPORTIVA

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will:- understand the funding system and procedures aimed at improving and enhancing public and private sports facilities and spaces intended for physical and sporting activities; - possess the skills required to participate in national and European public funding calls; - be able to operate within the complex framework of project financing in the sports sector.

Course contents

The course examines the legal and administrative framework governing the planning, financing, construction and management of sports facilities, with particular emphasis on project financing.

Module 1 – Sports Facilities [Lecturer: Marco Mariani]

The module covers:

1. the constitutional and European framework of sport;
2. the responsibilities of the State, Regions, local authorities and sports governing bodies;
3. the concept and main types of sports facilities;
4. the planning, design and approval of projects;
5. the special legal framework governing the construction, redevelopment and management of sports facilities;
6. public sources of funding at national, regional and European level;
7. the role of the Istituto per il Credito Sportivo e Culturale;
   
8. the general principles of public procurement;
   
9. the distinction between public contracts, concessions and public-private partnerships;
   
10. the award and management of public sports facilities;
    
11. public funding and the European Union rules on State aid;
    
12. the analysis of calls for funding, agreements, administrative measures and practical cases.

Module 2 – Project Financing in Sport [Lecturer: Gary Louis Pietrantonio]

The module provides an in-depth analysis of project financing as a public-private partnership instrument applied to sports facilities.

The following topics will be examined:

1. the main PPP models;
   
2. the structure of a project financing operation;
   
3. public and private initiatives;
   
4. the promoter’s proposal and the assessment of the public interest;
   
5. the feasibility study, the concession agreement, the financial plan and the risk matrix;
   
6. the tender procedure and the position of the promoter;
   
7. the costs, revenue sources and financing arrangements of the facility;
   
8. the economic and financial sustainability and bankability of the project;
   
9. the allocation of risks;
   
10. the project company;
    
11. the performance, rebalancing and termination of the concession;
    
12. the analysis of project financing case studies concerning stadiums, sports arenas, swimming pools and sports centres.

Readings/Bibliography

For Module 1

In addition to the materials provided during the lectures, students are advised to read La nuova disciplina dei contratti pubblici. Commento aggiornato al D.Lgs. 31 dicembre 2024, n. 209, by B. Bruno, M. Mariani and E. Toma, Giappichelli, 2025.

For Module 2

In addition to the materials provided during the lectures, students are advised to read Il Partenariato pubblico-privato e la finanza di progetto. Innovazioni e regolazione nel mercato dei contratti pubblici, by G. Briganti, Lefebvre Giuffrè, 2024.

Teaching methods

Il corso prevede una combinazione di esposizione teorica e lavoro pratico, presentazioni e discussioni degli studenti oltre che discussioni e commenti di testi.

Assessment methods

Assessment is structured around the two modules of the course:

for Module 1 – Sports Facilities, students are required to take a written examination consisting of open-ended questions;
for Module 2 – Project Financing in Sport, students are required to take an oral examination.

In order to pass the course, students must obtain a passing grade in both modules.

A single final grade is awarded on a thirty-point scale and is calculated as the arithmetic mean of the grades obtained in the examinations for Module 1 and Module 2.

Assessment will take into account students’ knowledge of the course content, their ability to apply the concepts learned to practical cases, the soundness of their reasoning, their ability to establish connections between legal and managerial aspects, and their appropriate use of technical terminology.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Mariani

See the website of Gary Louis Pietrantonio