Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso launched a scathing attack on Serie A, saying ‘the real Mafiosi in Italy are the ones who cheat.’ The American businessman was speaking to Mediaset ahead of Fiorentina’s 2-1 win over Torino in yesterday’s Coppa Italia quarter-final, and discussed the culture of newspaper owners publishing biased stories in favour of their clubs. He began by talking about Sofyan Amrabat’s attempts to leave Fiorentina in the January transfer window:
“Amrabat? It hurt, but things went the way we expected. We said a month ago that nobody was for sale and we meant it.
“Urbano Cairo (Torino President)? In Italy, people like to talk too much and do too little. When the Corriere Fiorentina, Corriere della Sera, Gazzetta dello Sport owned by a certain someone who is the patron of Torino, makes these stupid articles, they ought to be ashamed.
“I don’t have any newspapers in Italy, but it’s not right that someone who owns one club can launch criticism against a team he is about to play on the field.
“Don’t forget, everything I said a few years ago would happen in Italian football has then happened. Football is damaged, there are teams who step onto the pitch when they are not sticking to the financial rules and we saw what happened with Juventus.”
“Gazzetta? They let the patron of a newspaper – La Gazzetta dello Sport – who called me a Mafioso, whereas the real Mafiosi in Italy are the ones who cheat. I will leave it there.”
