Serie A President Backs Mancini After Preferring Conte

Playing football today has become an expensive endeavor. We need to find ways to support young players and aspiring footballers. This support cannot solely come from Serie A, but from the entire football community, to help young talents without significant financial burdens. These were the words of Ezio Maria Simonelli, President of Serie A, speaking on Rai Radio 1. He addressed various topics concerning Italian football.

Regarding the national team, following criticism from Juventus CEO Carnevali about Giovanni Malagò's choice of Roberto Mancini as coach, Simonelli stated, "To call Roberto Mancini an incapable person seems completely out of place. As you know, this was Malagò's decision, the name he had in mind from the beginning, which differed from what Serie A clubs, including Juventus, had envisioned. However, we are talking about a great coach with an exceptional track record, holding the world record for a national team's unbeaten streak – 37 matches without a single defeat. Furthermore, Mancini is the coach who led us to victory in our last major trophy, the 2021 European Championship. Regardless of individual opinions, all of which are respectable, we must all support Mancini and the National team."

When asked if Conte would have been preferred, Simonelli responded, "Yes, we have stated this in various forums. There was this preference, but it was between two great coaches like Conte and Mancini. Now, we must all be happy with Malagò's choice and cheer for Mancini so that the National team can return to the past glories it deserves."

Addressing the fiscal advantage of signing foreign players over Italians, Simonelli agreed, saying, "Absolutely, there is a bill proposed by Senator Marcheschi to make the acquisition of an Italian player equivalent to that of a foreign one. We hope this regulation, which is cost-neutral and already applied by the tax authorities in many other sectors through the reverse charge mechanism, can be implemented. It would be significant for our clubs' finances."

On the possibility of organizing training camps for the new coach Mancini, Simonelli commented, "If it were up to me, certainly yes. With Gattuso, it wasn't done, but in the end, it wasn't even requested, and the calendar was such that it didn't allow for any breaks. Today's schedules, increasingly influenced by FIFA and UEFA, no longer leave room for potential recovery or additional windows for the National team, although we should do everything we can to find them."