Alessandro Romano faces €100,000 bill over Italy switch

Switzerland's football federation is demanding that Alessandro Romano repay €100,000 after he changed his international allegiance from Switzerland to Italy.

The Cagliari midfielder, 20, was born in Winterthur to Italian parents and represented Switzerland from under-16 to under-20 level, including 34 appearances and the captain's armband on several occasions. He never played for the senior side, which cleared the way for the switch under FIFA's eligibility rules given his direct Italian parentage.

The charge relates to Footuro, the Swiss federation's development programme for its most promising young players. It provided Romano with a personal coach, specific training sessions, evaluation testing and career planning. Players entering the scheme sign an agreement to repay its costs, roughly €25,000 a year, should they later choose to represent another country. Four years in the programme brings the total to €100,000, which the Swiss federation regards as effectively guaranteed under that agreement, though the final say may rest with a court.

Romano is not the first to be caught by the clause. Albian Hajdari was made to compensate the Swiss federation after opting to play for Kosovo, a switch confirmed in October 2025. Switzerland currently sit top of their World Cup group on 7 points from 3 matches, while Italy, fourth in their Nations League section without a point from 1 game, could hand Romano his senior debut against Belgium on Friday.