Lega Serie A President Ezio Maria Simonelli addressed the media following today`s assembly. He provided updates on league matters, upcoming schedules, and responded to recent controversies surrounding match postponements.
Simonelli stated, “We have advanced discussions on key topics, working through commissions. We conducted a thorough analysis of international TV rights, an area where we need to significantly improve. Our next two assemblies will be held in Rome, coinciding with the Coppa Italia final. There, we will examine the industrial plan in detail – today we only touched on its guidelines, which were extensively debated. We hope to finalize it in Rome. The following assembly will take place on June 6th during the Serie A festival in Parma. We will release the league calendar on that date. Announcing the calendar as early as possible is a priority. Unfortunately, we are often forced to communicate dates late due to European competitions, which we understand is inconvenient for fans. We want to provide dates with the widest possible advance notice, compatible with cup commitments. In the future, for some matches, we might indicate `X` placeholders, perhaps for 7-8 out of 10 games. It will be challenging initially, but gradually we will aim to release this information sooner.”
He then listed specific match timings for an upcoming round: “In line with this goal, we have also scheduled some matches. On May 9th, Milan-Bologna will be at 8:45 PM, ahead of the Coppa Italia final. On Saturday, May 10th, Como-Cagliari is at 3:00 PM, Lazio-Juventus at 6:00 PM, and Empoli-Parma at 8:45 PM. Sunday, May 12th sees Udinese-Monza at 12:30 PM, Torino-Inter at 6:00 PM, and Napoli-Genoa at 8:45 PM. Monday will feature Venezia-Fiorentina followed by Atalanta-Roma.”
Any updates on the Supercoppa?
“There are still two days until the deadline expires. We have already urged the Saudi hosts for a decision. My impression is that given the four teams involved – Inter and Napoli from the league (we`ll see who finishes first), and Milan and Bologna as Coppa Italia finalists – it`s quite an appealing lineup. The decision is theirs; we expect it around the 30th. We have other attractive alternatives on the table. We are not worried and already have interesting fallback options. Which ones? For the moment, they are all subject to confidentiality clauses.”
Was there discussion of the controversies surrounding recent postponements?
“We reconstructed the events and agreed that the Lega made the technically correct choices. There were different issues. First, related to the passing of the Holy Father, the ANSA news arrived at 9:58 AM, and we were the first among all leagues to suspend matches by 10:30 AM, followed by everyone else. By 7:58 PM, we decided when to reschedule the games. The guiding principle must always be to reschedule at the first available window. That is what must and will always happen during my mandate; I want to avoid asterisks on the calendar. If there`s an opportunity to reschedule matches as soon as possible, we chose the earliest available date, which was Wednesday. Tuesday might have been possible and perhaps more convenient, but it seemed inappropriate the day after the Holy Father`s passing. We chose the earliest available date and decided to play all four matches simultaneously given the Coppa Italia final that evening. Regarding the tragic event that affected Lecce, I believe the Lega showed great sensitivity towards the mourning of Lecce and the Fiorita family. We renewed our condolences today. We immediately reprogrammed the match; that was what could be done. I don`t say `the show must go on,` but we are the Lega calcio: we must ensure football continues and the championship is as regular as possible. We accommodated all possible needs, but we had to protect the regularity of the championship, which could not allow an indefinite postponement of such a delicate match, relevant for Champions League qualification and survival. It`s easy for everyone on the sofa, to quote a TV show, to criticize the Lega. We made the best possible decisions that respected the mourning of Lecce and the family, while also considering millions of football fans who need a regular championship. This will always be our guiding principle: avoid postponing matches indefinitely and play as soon as possible.”
On the Inter-Roma match?
“Let`s be clear: I would never have dreamed of making any team play concurrently with the Holy Father`s funeral. Saturday afternoon or evening could have been played, as many other events took place. However, in the end, also in agreement with the two clubs, we decided to move that match to Sunday. Personally, I wouldn`t have done that; I would have had Inter play on Saturday evening to grant them the same rest period as Barcelona. This would allow an Italian team representing us to compete on equal terms. Was that just an exception for Inter? I wouldn`t phrase it like that. I would say I would have maintained the league schedule, moving Lazio`s match which clearly couldn`t be held [due to logistics in Rome]. I would have shifted the 3:00 PM game to 6:00 PM to distance it as much as possible from the funeral, and the 6:00 PM game to 8:45 PM. That seemed like a logical solution. However, after consulting everyone, and with great responsibility shown by the involved teams, we decided to play everything on Sunday. In my view, the world moved forward; my understanding is that San Lorenzo also played [after a tragedy]. Postponing indefinitely? We do not want to move matches beyond the current matchday. We will always try, within the limits of possibility, to avoid postponements, even more so in a delicate period like the end of the championship.”
Lecce wearing a white kit, could something happen regarding that?
“I would prefer not to talk about that. We understand Lecce`s grief and their reaction to the decision not to postpone their match indefinitely. However, I believe I have explained the logic. Allow me to remind everyone that in all other sports, when tragic events occur, play continues. I remember Schumacher racing in a Grand Prix despite his mother passing away the day before. I remember Senna`s death at Imola; the race still happened. I`m not saying sports should be insensitive to such losses; we sought to be as sensitive as possible. Beyond that, we couldn`t go.”