Claudio Lotito claims “everyone was behind me” after his controversial comments and defended “my programme for reform.”
The counsellor to the FIGC was caught on tape telling Ischia director general Pino Iodice that Lega Serie A President Maurizio Beretta and Lega Pro chief Mario Macalli “decide nothing. Zero.”
Claudio Lotito claims “everyone was behind me” after his controversial comments and defended “my programme for reform.”
The counsellor to the FIGC was caught on tape telling Ischia director general Pino Iodice that Lega Serie A President Maurizio Beretta and Lega Pro chief Mario Macalli “decide nothing. Zero.”
The Lazio President also complained that Carpi and Frosinone should not be allowed into Serie A because they wouldn’t bring in decent TV revenues.
“Am I worried? Not even slightly,” Lotito told newspaper Libero. “Everyone was behind me in the Lega meeting yesterday. Nobody doubted my good intentions.
“As for Iodice, just go and look at his CV. He was at the helm of two clubs that went bankrupt. If you pay attention to my phone call, I was simply trying to say the system is near collapse. The only way to save anything from the situation is to follow my programme for reform.
“The truth is that some are irritated we managed to achieve a wide consensus of support around my programme. I do everything in the interest of the weaker clubs, so 18 teams in Serie A, 18 in B and two groups of 18 in Lega Pro.
“Would this mean eliminating eight clubs from professional football? They’d disappear anyway! Just look at what is happening at Parma.”
This language is again something that has caused problems for Lotito, as he continually refers to it as “my programme for reform.”
The plan is pushed forward by FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio, who was heavily sponsored by Lotito and many fear the Lazio and Salernitana patron is the one pulling the strings at the Federation.
“People are irritated that I am proposing something in the common interest. I sleep three and a half hours per night and am always present. That way I cause trouble for those who try to place personal interest in front of the common good.
“I have done more for Italian football in six months than others have in 50 years, but it’s still not enough. You need certainty of financing for Serie B and Lega Pro.
“I want to be a real man, not a plaster cast sculpture that is beautiful on the outside, but putrid on the inside.
“As for Carpi, if you listen carefully I said if ‘a Carpi’ were to be promoted, not specifically ‘the Carpi.’ I would be very happy if Carpi were to get promoted into Serie A. I just point out that if Carpi, Frosinone and Latina all come into Serie A together, it creates a problem.
“I told all this to the President of Frosinone many times. With 10 Carpi-style clubs in Serie A, the product would be worth a lot less and consequently the system would collapse.
“In my programme, the plan is for a Serie B club – such as Carpi – would get promoted directly, then the second and third would go into play-offs with the penultimate and third from bottom sides in Serie A.
“The losing team would earn €10m. That is a way of maintaining a high level of the League.”
Meanwhile, Lotito also announced plans to sue Iodice for taping the phone call and releasing it to the media.