An ugly spat has broken out between Juventus patron John Elkann and Fiorentina owner Diego Della Valle.
The two clubs have a notoriously fractious relationship based on their rivalry, but it has now spread to the business world as well.
An ugly spat has broken out between Juventus patron John Elkann and Fiorentina owner Diego Della Valle.
The two clubs have a notoriously fractious relationship based on their rivalry, but it has now spread to the business world as well.
Della Valle criticised Fiat and Elkann hit back, claiming “Della Valle has other things to worry about, as his company Tod’s is going badly. They are down 20 per cent when matched with their competitors.
“They are dwarfed by Prada, Armani, Lvmh and Kering. It’s a small business that is not going well.”
Della Valle was furious and responded to Elkann, an heir to the Agnelli family whose nickname is Yaki.
“I read that Yaki, returning from a long weekend, made comments on a subject he notoriously knows nothing about: the world of work and businesses that run successfully.
“He talked rubbish. If he should like to visit a business that makes excellent products with well-prepared employees and a solid financial situation that never needed to make redundancies, I invite him to visit the Tod’s Group.
“He could even remain for an apprenticeship, seeing as he has a lot of free time. That way he’d learn what it means to actually work.
“I’ve known Yaki since he was a child and it’s a shame he is unable to understand there’s nothing personal in my position against Fiat and the Agnelli family.
“My criticism is against a family who has had and taken everything it wanted from Italy and the Italians in recent decades. In a dramatic moment for the country, instead of being ready to support Italy, they ran off into the shadows to sort out their own personal affairs.
“Anyone who behaves this way deserves no respect.”