Genoa – “If Sampdoria risk a penalty? The football institutions say nothing because they have every interest in Sampdoria being saved, it is a UNESCO heritage site, it is a historical and important club born from a merger on 12 August 1946. Sampdoria has a historic fan base, when I was in the stands even when they insulted me I was excited. Even when the team loses 3-0 they stand there doing ‘Sampdoria alé’, they are unique fans. But now we are like boyfriends who have broken up, they feel abandoned and insult me. I suffer, but I stay with them all my life,” former Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero told the LaPresse agency.
“Salaries will be paid, but let’s tone it down – continues Ferrero – Nobody will kick Sampdoria out of the championship, nobody will do anything to Sampdoria because Sampdoria will pay the salaries. The maximum that can happen will be a delay in payment, but this will not happen, because when I was president and there was the lockdown I paid for everything, I delayed my salaries a bit but we talk to the boys, the players care about shirt, the protagonist is Sampdoria. A 20-year-old boy who feels a little unlucky needs a strong and important company, not someone who says ‘oh my God we don’t pay your salaries’. We need positivity: the club, the media, the fans, let’s tone it down. There are 22 players, 11 go on the pitch and Stankovic is a great coach. Stop talking about penalties, bankruptcies and salaries”.
“I don’t hold Sampdoria hostage, if there are those who buy I sell”
“Do you want to understand that Sampdoria is the protagonist? We are close to this wonderful team. Someone says I hold Sampdoria hostage but I don’t hold anyone hostage. If there is a buyer I am ready to sell. They talk about Merrill Lynch and Barnaba, but Barnaba didn’t want to do anything, he wanted to put in thirty million and empty Sampdoria. They talk about Luca Bettonte whom I don’t know, he’s a good person but he’s talked about too much. A player who goes on the pitch how can he keep his head on the ball, on the green? Sampdoria is not a playground and the only protagonist is not those who go around Sampdoria but the twenty-two players who go on the pitch,” Ferrero said.
“This board has been here for a year and a half – he explains – and I don’t get involved, but I’m available. I tried to say take 3-4 players and they screwed me over. Now they accuse me that I didn’t take the players but I can’t do anything. If there is someone who wants to help Sampdoria, they are welcome “, but” under the conditions set by the trust “, he adds.
“Merrill Lynch wanted to make a capital increase and not give anything to Sampdoria, but this can’t be done. Garrone was angry but maybe they didn’t explain it well. Garrone is a decent person, He didn’t give me anything but I will always thank him as well as I thank Banca Sistema which is close to our beloved Sampdoria. I did what I had to do at Sampdoria, I won twelve derbies, I created the women’s team from scratch, the under 18 team, I created the pitches and worked on the stadium, I had to redo the changing rooms but they got stuck”, underlines Ferrero keeping to specify that his “personal mishap has nothing to do with Sampdoria, except for the impossibility of managing it in the best possible way as I always did”.
“There is a gentleman called Gianluca Vidal – he concludes referring to the trustee – and he works 20 hours a day and every now and then someone comes out who wants to buy but they only advertise. If you want Sampdoria try to be concrete. I hope that someone better than me will come and buy Sampdoria. And I think we’d all be happy with that.”
“Lanna think about being president and calm spirits”
“Lanna is a good person, a great gentleman. But being the president of a Spa is difficult, but even more so being the president of a football team. He always goes on TV, but if he talks about sports, he doesn’t talk about trustees, Ferrero. He minded his own business and thought about calming things down. He can, the fans love him. We have a very strong coach and a team that runs well. Are there any episodes against? Lanna can’t go and say that the referees are wrong, the referees don’t have it in for anyone. Now slowly things will change because a little bit of luck will turn on Sampdoria’s side,” said Ferrero, referring to the new president of the club.
“I were Mr. Lanna – he concludes – since he is much loved by the fans, I would say ‘enough violence against Garrone and Ferrero, let’s talk about football and stay close to us. I’m talking to the team and coach Stankovic: go on the pitch against Inter on Monday and asphalt them. Because as I have always said as president, football is 11 against 11, whoever eats the most grass wins,” concludes Ferrero.
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