Pietro Doca says he may attend today’s Tardini Press conference after all, but as Parma’s Vice-President and only if a deal is completed in time.
Pietro Doca says he may attend today’s Tardini Press conference after all, but as Parma’s Vice-President and only if a deal is completed in time.
There has been much confusion in recent days, with Doca being named by the Ducali as the club’s new President, before the prospective new patron denied a deal was complete and said he would not attend today’s Press conference.
That led to speculation that the club’s owners could seek a new President, but now Doca has backtracked on those comments, intimating that he could meet media today if a deal is completed in time.
“I can confirm that the deal is still in progress,” Doca told La Repubblica.
“If we reach an agreement today I won’t rule out accepting the role of Vice-President and therefore attending today’s Press conference.”
The club’s general manager Pietro Leonardi was pressed for comment after the Ducali’s defeat to Napoli last night, and insisted it was the new owners who arranged today’s conference.
“Let’s get things straight, the Press release of December 11 was done by the new shareholders,” Leonardi said of the statement announcing a deal was done.
“There were a lot of quotes from the new President and a Press conference was convened.
“When I landed in Naples I heard about Doca’s comments in the Press, but I haven’t spoken to him directly which I expect to do tomorrow [today].
“The Press conference was not called by [former President Tommaso] Ghirardi, but by the new ownership, that much is clear.
“The people who organised the conference will explain.
“Have the negotiations stalled? I can’t say anything about that, because I wasn’t part of the shareholder negotiations.
“I only entered at the end of the meeting last Wednesday, at the notary where I was asked to be general manager and I indicated that I was fully willing to do so.”