Sommario:

1. L’attualità del dibattito sulla natura delle federazioni sportive.

2. Dall’indagine sulla natura soggettiva al criterio oggettivo dell’attività svolta. 

3. La teoria mista nella giurisprudenza recente: alcuni dubbi alla luce dell’esercizio privato di funzioni pubbliche. 

4. Un «omaggio formale» alla legalità?

Abstract:

This article critically examines recent judicial applications of the «mixed theory» concerning the legal nature of Italian sports federations, arguing that they tend to weaken the requirements of the principle of legality governing the private exercise of public functions. After briefly revisiting the long-standing debate on the legal status of sports federations and analysing the relevant legislative framework, the article shows that the public-law character of federations’ activities is often inferred from broad functional considerations or general formulas, rather than from a clear statutory basis. This approach raises concerns regarding both the identification of genuinely public functions and the scope of administrative jurisdiction. The article therefore proposes an interpretation of the «mixed theory» that is more consistent with the principle of legality, according to which the private-law nature of sports federations constitutes the primary reference point, while the application of public law must be confined to functions expressly provided for by law.