Andrea Abodi and Mario Macalli replied to Claudio Lotito after a “nauseating” taped phone call on power in football.
The controversy erupted today when La Repubblica released a taped call between Lazio President Lotito and director of Lega Pro team Ischia Isolaverde Pino Iodice.
Lotito told Iodice that current Lega Serie A President Massimo Beretta and Lega Pro President Macalli “decide nothing” in Italian football.
Andrea Abodi and Mario Macalli replied to Claudio Lotito after a “nauseating” taped phone call on power in football.
The controversy erupted today when La Repubblica released a taped call between Lazio President Lotito and director of Lega Pro team Ischia Isolaverde Pino Iodice.
Lotito told Iodice that current Lega Serie A President Massimo Beretta and Lega Pro President Macalli “decide nothing” in Italian football.
“I feel nauseous faced with this situation,” Macalli told Tuttomercatoweb. “I am amazed that people are giving space to someone who records phone calls. That’s all I am amazed by.
“Lotito is perfectly right about my position. In 18 months my mandate expires and I am leaving. He didn’t need to say it for me. I represented the Lega past and present, but I will not be its future.”
Macalli also confessed Lotito had a point when saying it would be “a disaster” if tiny clubs like Carpi and Frosinone were promoted into Serie A.
“It doesn’t take Einstein to figure out that bigger clubs like Bologna will attract more television rights money than Carpi or Frosinone, who are still splendid teams. If you buy the rights to show Juventus games, these are different to the rights of Albinoleffe.
“Having said that, of course Albinoleffe have every right to play in Serie A. This is sport and without that there is no sport.”
Lega Serie B President Abodi released a lengthy statement on the scandal.
“Football, the way I see it and tried to prove along with our ‘sporting family’ of Serie B in these four years, is very different to what it might appear. But we have to prove it constantly.
“I don’t feel in a position to judge anyone, as that would be too easy. However I cannot and must not betray the principles and values I was taught.
“I believe in real football, the one on the pitch, enriched by the passion and presence of the fans. In Serie B the teams who go up or down do so because they deserved it. The history of our League, including recently, shows that.
“We’ve proved in Serie B that you can be ‘big’ beyond your dimensions, because what counts is merit, a sporting project and the people involved. And, thank God, the table is a tangible representation of what I am saying. This is real football!
“This is Serie B with its 22 clubs, all different and at the same time all equal in their rights and their duties.
“Anyone who loves football today will certainly be eager to shout ‘Forza Carpi! Forza Frosinone!’ but we believe it is ‘only’ the time to reaffirm with passion: ‘Long live real football! Let the best team win!’”