The CAS ruling is now awaited. A capital gain is likely, given that the Swiss club is expected to pay 40% of all subsequent sell-on fees for the Italian defender, not just the 2023 transfer to Bologna.  

Riccardo Calafiori, a product of the Roma academy, departed in 2022 with the promise of a potential return one day. He himself admitted, “It’s true, I’d like to come back; I have unfinished business at Roma.” While it remains to be seen when and how Calafiori might don the Giallorossi shirt again, something related to him could soon return to Trigoria – and it would be most welcome. We are referring to the dispute with Basel over the well-known sell-on clause percentage received by the Swiss club after his transfer to Arsenal, which Roma claims as their right based on the initial contract when they sold the player to Basel. 

The Dispute—  

Calafiori left Roma in January 2022, initially joining Genoa on loan before being sold to Basel six months later. José Mourinho believed he needed playing time and would have sent him out on another loan, but then-sporting director Tiago Pinto did not think he would develop into an international-calibre player and opted to sell him. The move to Basel was finalised for €2.5 million plus a 40% sell-on clause. This clause was activated when the Swiss club sold the player to Bologna a year later, with Roma receiving €1.6 million of the €4 million Basel earned from the Rossoblù. However, Roma has always maintained that the contract stipulated that the 40% clause entitled them to all sums received by Basel from the player’s sale, including the 50% share the Swiss club subsequently received from the defender’s transfer from Bologna to Arsenal – a deal worth €45 million plus €5 million in bonuses. Forty per cent of that 50% amounts to approximately €9.1 million (plus a percentage on any accrued bonuses), which is the figure Roma expects to receive from Basel. 

The Agreement—  

The Swiss club, conversely, has always argued that the contract contained different clauses and that Roma was only entitled to 40% of the initial transfer fee received by Basel from another club (specifically Bologna). This led to a legal dispute, which was referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. Legal rumours suggest a potential final agreement between the two clubs for around €6 million. This settlement would allow Roma to record another small capital gain on their balance sheet before June 30. This would add to other recent gains, such as from Saud (redeemed by Lens for €3.5 million, a €2 million capital gain for the Giallorossi) and Sangaré, who was acquired for €1.6 million from Levante plus a 10% future sell-on clause, and has now been sold to Elche for €4.5 million, generating a capital gain of approximately €3 million after amortisation and the €450,000 due to Levante.

This article was originally written in Italian by La Gazzetta dello Sport editor. The English version has been generated using AI translation tools. If you notice any translation errors or have suggestions, please contact us at iniziativegazzetta@rcs.it

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