Because the average annual income of the number one QS surfer in the world is aroundR$65,000. The winner of each of the QS 10,000 events getsR$30,000 in prize money. And there is only a handful of these premium contests each season.

Professional surfers can earn income through a combination of methods, similar to other professional athletes. Their earnings come from various sources including sponsorships, prize money, endorsements, and other business ventures.

At the end of the season, three teams are promoted to Serie A and four teams are relegated to Serie C. The top two teams are automatically promoted and the third place team is only automatically promoted if they are more than 14 points clear of the fourth placed team.

As AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni told Il Foglio, "In the last 20 years, nearly everyone has overtaken us... Serie A has become the Serie B of Europe." Even the league's most avid followers would find it difficult to disagree, so frustrated have they become by the reckless way in which the Italian game is run.