Paolo Mazza, Gipo Viani e l’“invenzione” del calciomercato

Abstract

The origins of the modern transfer market in football is an interesting but yet very little explored topic. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process behind the development of the transfer market in Italy and to highlight the key role played by the new generation of presidents and sporting directors which took the lead of the mayor Italian clubs after the Second world war. The paper will also focus on the figures of Paolo Mazza (president of SPAL Ferrara from 1947 to 1976) and Giuseppe “Gipo” Viani (coach and sporting director of many Italian teams between 1946 and 1969) considered to be the “inventors” of the modern transfer market in Italy.