CONI President Giovanni Malagò has slammed an “embarrassing” approach by the football clubs and encouraged the Presidents to stop “talking like the fans”.
After a controversial week in Serie A, the CONI President has defended the action taken by the Lega and has claimed that the proposed fixture list has been created with the best interests in mind.
CONI President Giovanni Malagò has slammed an “embarrassing” approach by the football clubs and encouraged the Presidents to stop “talking like the fans”.
After a controversial week in Serie A, the CONI President has defended the action taken by the Lega and has claimed that the proposed fixture list has been created with the best interests in mind.
“The postponement of a round seems like the only guarantee for the regularity of the League,” Malagò told La Repubblica. “Juventus will not play in the League next week and Inter will have three days to recover before the Europa League.”
Among others, the Inter President Steven Zhang was one of the chiefs who voiced his concern in a rant on social media, whilst Fiorentina CEO Joe Barone has been participating in the public discussion since their postponed game against Udinese.
The CONI President has claimed that the chiefs have started to sound like their fans and is “embarrassed” by football’s conduct towards other sports in Italy.
“It doesn’t honour Italy. The virus is creating huge problems for all of the sports,” he added. “It’s time for football to understand that there are no levels of athletes.
“Being more popular and earning more doesn’t give players more rights than those who might have trained even more to get a spot at the Olympics.
“It’s a matter of respect. It’s embarrassing that the supporters push the managers and they follow up speaking like them [the fans]. That’s not good.”
One problem that has been highlighted was the postponed Inter-Sampdoria not having a date, but, whilst the CONI President admitted that “it’s true”, he points at a “complex situation”.
“True, and the situation in Lombardy and Veneto remains more delicate,” he added. “There the problem is more complex, but the circle is closing.
“The critical issues must be understood and addressed in an adult way, also because we are facing a more unique rather than rare event.”