Former Italy international Gianluca Vialli and business partner Fausto Zanetton believe their innovative crowdfunding platform Tifosy can help arrest the growing feeling of estrangement between football clubs and supporters.
The co-founders of the platform are targeting clubs outside the top 20-30 globally, raising capital through the issue of equity, or debt, in the form of mini-bonds.
So far they have enjoyed success with crowdfunding for Italian clubs Frosinone and Pescara — Pescara recently raised 2.37 million euros ($2.7 million, £2.1 million) from nearly 400 investors — as well as Norwich, in England’s second-tier Championship.
“I think what Luca (Vialli) always says, and he has been here (England) a long time and has seen the evolution since the English Premier League was created — that bond between fans and clubs has been diluted over time,” Zanetton told AFP.
