Ischia director Pino Iodice claims Claudio Lotito used “Godfather language,” criticising Andrea Agnelli, Adriano Galliani and Marcello Nicchi.
Iodice released a taped phone call to the media on Friday, sparking a scandal, but promised he has much worse comments recorded and ready to go.
“There comes a moment when you have to say enough,” Iodice told the Corriere dello Sport.
Ischia director Pino Iodice claims Claudio Lotito used “Godfather language,” criticising Andrea Agnelli, Adriano Galliani and Marcello Nicchi.
Iodice released a taped phone call to the media on Friday, sparking a scandal, but promised he has much worse comments recorded and ready to go.
“There comes a moment when you have to say enough,” Iodice told the Corriere dello Sport.
“We have put up with too many attitudes of psychological violence that make their mark. You might call it stalking, the kind of Godfather language that damages people.
“Lotito calls our general manager five, six even 10 times a day, including at midnight. We are a small club, but we are proud.
“If someone tries to deny us our payments, which were promised a year ago, it means they are trying to suffocate us. Even worse: kill us.
“It’s an issue of honesty, fairness and justice. Lega Pro has been paralysed since December, when the budget was not approved because many of the clubs no longer believe in President Mario Macalli.
“If Lotito intervenes and starts to pressure us, it means we have to support his programme, otherwise we won’t see a Euro that we are owed.”
In the released recording, Lazio and Salernitana President Lotito said Lega Serie A President Maurizio Beretta and Lega Pro chief Macalli “decide nothing: zero.” However, Iodice promises worse comments to come.
“Lotito is delirious. He called (President of the Referees' Association) Nicchi an idiot, said (Juventus President) Agnelli and (Milan CEO Adriano) Galliani can’t do anything to him, that Carpi and Frosinone don’t bring money so (Lega Serie B President Andrea) Abodi shouldn’t let them get promoted…
“What kind of football is this? If two clubs who are proving on the pitch that they have good managerial ideas and technical capabilities, they should in some way be held back?
“Ischia are doing this because we believe in what we are doing and feel football cannot be ruled by tyranny. We expected Lega Pro to be placed under administration by the CONI and the FIGC in December. Instead the man who has been there for 17 years is clinging to his seat thanks to a loophole while we clubs are being throttled.
“They tried to take away our joy of football with unacceptable methods. We don’t believe in fairytales, but at the same time this system cannot be credible. It’s a type of power that oppresses and we have to free ourselves.
“How would I describe Lotito? As he’d put it, a pathetic human being.”
Iodice also spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport and slammed CONI President Giovanni Malagò.
“If nothing changes this time either, then it’s true that Italian football is in the hands of a Cupola.”
The ‘Cupola’ is a Mafia term for a commission of leading figures, which was also used during the Calciopoli scandal of 2006.
Lotito released a lengthy statement defending his comments in the taped phone calls.