Romano is set to make his first Italy start on Friday against Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico, but his change of allegiance could come with an unexpected bill from the Swiss football federation.
Born in Winterthur to Italian parents, the Cagliari midfielder made 34 appearances for Switzerland's youth sides, including spells as captain, and was part of Footuro, the federation's programme for its most promising prospects, offering specialised training, additional testing, a personal coach and career planning.
The Swiss federation invested an estimated 25,000 francs a year in each player enrolled in the scheme. Participation never barred a switch of national team, but the signed agreement allows the federation to seek reimbursement of those costs when a player it developed chooses to represent another country instead.
In Romano's case, the sum being discussed is around 100,000 francs, roughly equivalent in euros.
The Swiss federation has not disclosed further details, though it has confirmed Romano was formally enrolled in Footuro under a signed agreement. A similar case previously involved former Lugano player Hajdari, who switched to representing Kosovo despite having taken part in the same programme.
Any penalty would in theory fall entirely on the player who signed the agreement, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, meaning the Italian federation, who can now call on Romano freely, would not be involved.