Words from Executive President Italo Zanzi / VIDEO

Verona - The statements made by Hellas Verona Executive President Italo Zanzi during today’s press conference, Monday 27 July.

President, how is Verona doing following the relegation, which inevitably affects every aspect of the Club’s operations? What should we expect in the coming months, considering the need to maintain a balance between the sporting and financial sides? "As always, I will answer with complete honesty: it was a major blow. We have addressed this situation very seriously. Obviously, it was a negative event and there is no other way to describe it. At the same time, however, our confidence in the future remains strong, as does our awareness of the work we need to do to win promotion and ensure continuity for a Club that has many opportunities. These are moments that the Club and the organisation have already experienced in the past, and they are certainly not happy ones. We are not here smiling, but we are here with commitment, determination and the awareness that the supporters also want to return to Serie A and achieve more. We will do everything possible, within our means, to reach this objective. We also understand the scale of the challenge, because it is not enough to arrive in Serie B and say: ‘We are Verona, so we will go straight back up.’ It does not work like that, and we are fully aware of it. A great deal of hard work lies ahead of us, and we are approaching it with the utmost seriousness".

Have the necessary resources been allocated to achieve the major objective of winning promotion? Will the Club be able to operate in the transfer market to build a team capable of doing so? "In my opinion, yes. We will have a competitive team, and that has always been our intention. In football, however, long-term financial sustainability must also be taken into account. You cannot afford to live beyond your means and take excessive risks. There is pressure from different people and platforms encouraging you to do whatever it takes, but our objective is simple: to try to win promotion within our means while, at the same time, ensuring very solid continuity for Hellas, both today and in the future. The financial component is important when building a team, but it is not the only factor. First of all, we appointed a coach whom I consider extremely well suited to the role. He is capable, he knows this environment and he has already won the Serie B championship twice. We also have a Sporting Director who knows this division extremely well and has already achieved important results in it. For these reasons, we are confident, while maintaining great respect for the difficulty of the challenge".

What, therefore, are Verona’s objectives and prospects in the immediate, medium and long term? "As Christian Puscasiu said in his interview in May, the immediate objective is to win promotion. In the long term, however, a football club must be managed responsibly, otherwise the risks become much greater. We see this not only in Verona’s case, but throughout Italian and European football. You rightly highlighted how difficult it is to find this balance today. We are highly focused on this aspect and consider it both serious and fundamental. It is also an opportunity, although it may mean not satisfying everyone who constantly asks the Club to spend more. As we have seen, spending more is not always the formula for success".

The Club has already launched a new stadium project involving high-profile partners, while other plans and solutions have also been submitted to the City Council. What is the current status of the project? Is it a crucial element for Verona’s future? "I can speak on behalf of the Club and the organisation. We are fully aware that the city, the supporters and the team deserve a new stadium in the future. For this reason, we are working in a highly structured and committed way to turn this possibility into reality. It is a lengthy process, as is the case with every project of this kind, but we have already taken fundamental and concrete steps. We have a good relationship with the City Council regarding the process, and we have conducted a long and extremely thorough study to identify what we believe to be the best solution: building a new stadium on the site where the Bentegodi currently stands. We are continuing along this path. There are obviously difficulties, but I am optimistic. The greatest challenge, which affects not only Hellas but every Italian club, is bureaucracy. We are also working on this issue with the Government and the commissioner to make the process more streamlined and faster. As far as the other groups are concerned, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on their initiatives. At this stage, the City Council has opened a formal procedure and everyone has the right to participate, so it is not my place to assess what others are doing".

There is a regulation for clubs relegated from Serie A and competing in Serie B that establishes a wage bill of approximately €18 million. Should a club wish to exceed this threshold, the difference must be covered by a bank guarantee amounting to at least 40%. According to my calculations, Verona’s current squad costs approximately €27–28 million. Does the ownership intend to reduce the wage bill, considering that Serie B players generally cost less than Serie A players, or is it prepared to provide a substantial bank guarantee to build a more competitive team? "You have raised an important point. First of all, I do not agree with this regulation, but it exists. The most relevant aspect is that it highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between having a strong, competitive team and a sustainable financial structure. This is a challenge that affects everyone. We are working in this direction. We are always fully compliant with every regulation and we are confident that we will continue to be. However, there is still a long way to go in the transfer window, and we are working with a technical and sporting department that I consider excellent to find the best solution, although it is not simple".

Have you had any concrete discussions in recent weeks regarding the sale of the majority shareholding? "Absolutely not. I do not want to comment on statements made by others, but I can speak on behalf of Presidio: they are here, they remain the owners and, as Puscasiu said, they intend to remain so. This is a medium-to-long-term project. I do not know where certain rumours have come from, but the ownership’s commitment is concrete. I cannot add much more about the situation, but I can confirm that Presidio is providing its full support and has complete confidence in the project".

What does it mean to have a medium-to-long-term project without adequately considering the sporting result, which represents the main product of a football club? "As I have already said, this is a long-term process. To carry it out, first and foremost, you must not go beyond your means, because otherwise the risks become much greater. Obviously, we want to build a competitive team. Many of you wrote that last season’s team was also strong, but we did not achieve the required result and we accepted responsibility for that. Football, as you know better than I do, is not a formula. However, I do not agree with the idea that, if you do not win in a particular season, everything has therefore failed. In our daily work, we are currently seeing greater enthusiasm from sponsors than we did previously, and we expect this to increase further next season. There is clearly a connection between sporting results and commercial and operational results, but we cannot claim that, if something does not work in a particular year, everything has failed and the entire project has been a disaster. That is not the case".

What are your financial capabilities in practical terms? "Let me ask you a question in return: how many football clubs can be sustainable while losing money every year? The objective must be for the Club to become self-financing. You cannot spend more than you earn, and that is our philosophy. Perhaps football has become a slightly strange world, but choosing to lose money every year creates far greater risks than building a balanced and ambitious plan. Ambition does not mean abandoning responsibility and financial stability. These ideas are not in conflict. You must try to pursue both, and that is the most important part of our plan".

This morning, you announced that the Club had reached 9,000 season-ticket holders. In your opinion, why have 9,000 people already purchased a Verona season ticket? "Because they support the team with their hearts. It is something we appreciate enormously and something we must never forget".

You therefore have a major responsibility, because these supporters have not purchased season tickets following a major transfer campaign or the arrival of a star player. They are placing their trust in you without knowing what the final squad will look like. Do you feel this responsibility towards them? "Absolutely, and we have said so from the very first day. Our greatest commitment and responsibility are towards the city and the supporters. We try to explain as clearly as possible that the desire to compete must be aligned with the long-term stability of the organisation and the Club, because this is in everyone’s interests. I also want to emphasise that nobody is taking money out of this organisation. We have said this since the first day and it remains completely true: all revenue generated by the Club remains within the Club. We want to be competitive without taking excessive risks".

Does Presidio intend to carry out a capital increase? "As I said before, Presidio remains the owner with great determination and commitment. Obviously, we are always open to someone participating strategically, but we are not in a situation in which the ownership is looking for money from any available source. We therefore believe that it is possible to build a competitive team while, at the same time, maintaining a solid organisation".

Can you confirm Baroni’s statement that Verona may sell no more than one player and that four or five new signings will arrive before the transfer window closes? "I do not believe anyone can guarantee today what the squad will look like at the end of a transfer window that will remain open for another month. The objective is to assemble a competitive team, but the development of the squad does not depend solely on the Club. The intentions of the players, agents and many other dynamics must also be considered. In modern football, a club cannot simply decide that it will not complete any sales or transfers. It also depends on the players and the other parties involved. The transfer window will remain open for another month, and we have demonstrated that outgoing transfers are also accompanied by incoming transfers. It is a long process. I do not want to make absolute statements and claim that nothing will happen, because that is not the case. At the same time, this does not mean that we will not sign players. We have always done so".

We know that the club that spends the most is not automatically guaranteed to win. However, based on how much Verona can invest, what can Verona’s objective realistically be? "The objective is to win promotion. As I have already said, it is not only about how much a club spends. A fundamental element is having players who want to be here and who possess determination, fighting spirit and love for the shirt. This is not a quality that can be assessed overnight or simply on paper. For this reason, we place great confidence in the Sporting Director and the coach to select the right team for the journey ahead. A battle awaits us and it will not be easy. You can put ten players with the biggest names on paper, but that does not guarantee victory. We need to build a team capable of achieving our objective".

Regarding the long-term project, is it correct to say that Presidio’s objective is to build a team capable of remaining consistently in Serie A? Is that an objective that can be publicly stated? "Yes. First, however, we need to get back there. This has always been our stated objective and it continues to be so. We cannot think too far into the future without focusing on today and tomorrow. We must approach one commitment at a time: first the Coppa Italia match on 16 August, then the opening league fixture and, after that, every individual match. The long-term objective is to return to Serie A and remain there, but looking too far ahead can become a problem. To achieve that objective, we cannot do something reckless today that compromises the future".

Was Baroni also chosen to create the team identity you referred to earlier, considering that the lack of a collective identity may have been one of the causes of last season’s relegation? From a transfer-market perspective, could targeting Italian players, who might adapt more easily to the group and the league, represent a valid solution? "The coach was an excellent choice for us for many reasons. First of all, because of his experience and his abilities, not only from a tactical and technical perspective, but also because of his ability to motivate the players. You rightly used the word ‘identity’. A team must have its own approach, structure and confidence in the way it plays. We are convinced that Baroni will be able to provide all of this. The only aspect on which I may disagree concerns the nationality of the players, because ultimately our objective is to win. Naturally, we have great respect for Italian football and want it to continue developing, but we did not appoint Baroni with the objective of signing more Italian players. Italian players are certainly welcome, but that was not the reason behind the choice of coach. The decision was made for the reasons I explained previously".

Conversely, for the foreign players who experienced difficulties adapting last season, could this campaign represent an opportunity to become more familiar with Italian football and gain a better understanding of the way the game is played and life is lived in Italy? "Every player must be assessed individually on the basis of their performances and attitude. These are aspects that Sean Sogliano and the coach will need to analyse. Ultimately, however, the objective always remains the same: to try to win every match and regain our place in Serie A".

Ten days ago, we lost our legend Osvaldo Bagnoli. Has a process already begun to rename the Bentegodi stadium in his honour? "First of all, Bagnoli is the most important figure in the history of Hellas. We have done and will continue to do everything possible to honour him. As far as the current stadium is concerned, the decision belongs to the City Council, which owns it. Naturally, we will support any initiative aimed at paying tribute to Bagnoli, because he is a fundamental figure for the Club and we fully understand his importance to the supporters and the entire city of Verona".

In just a few days, the supporters have already purchased 9,000 season tickets and are eagerly anticipating the new season. They also appear to have appreciated both the decision to retain Sean Sogliano and the arrival of Marco Baroni. "We are completely aligned with Sean Sogliano. A number of things were written in the newspapers during the summer, but he has always been a pillar of this Club and will continue to be one. Together with Sean, we selected a coach whom we consider excellent both for this particular moment and for the future. I thank all the supporters for the confidence they are showing in us. I believe we have done a good job in building a group of leaders within the Club who are capable of respecting its history, while also looking towards the future and, above all, possessing the desire to win".

As a Club, have you already considered how to honour Bagnoli during the first official match, whether that is the Coppa Italia fixture or the opening league match? "We are considering it. We have already done a great deal, as was only right, but we have tried to do so respectfully. When something like this happens, and I also said this personally when this tragic loss occurred, we do not want to turn everything into a spectacle. First and foremost, we want to respect the family, because a person has died and that is the most important aspect that must always be remembered. Naturally, we also want to honour his memory. I believe we have already done everything possible and we will continue to do even more. We have an appropriate programme in mind, but much of it will also need to come from the local community. To speak with complete honesty, when something like this happens, any initiative must be authentic. It must not appear as though Hellas Verona simply wants to demonstrate that it has done something. It must be a genuine, heartfelt and shared initiative. I know that, at certain times, the supporters, the Club and you journalists may have different opinions regarding particular situations. In this case, however, we must all be united. We are therefore considering and planning our next steps, but at the same time we want to involve the family, the supporters and also you, because this is an extremely delicate matter. We want to transform an immensely painful moment into an authentic and positive tribute to the memory of Osvaldo Bagnoli".