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Exor's atee and number one club's number one speaks to La Stampa on the eve of the celebrations for 100 years of ownership of the club: "Join our big purchase"
"There are those who think that Juventus is the problem of Italian football. On the contrary: it is part of the solution. It has always been its backbone." On the eve of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of ownership of the Agnelli family club, John Elkann, number of the club and ad of Exor, spoke in an interview with La Stampa recalling what his grandfather always said: "Juventus means youth. Youth means being projected towards the future. Its past is rich in glory, but with the name it bears it is to the future that you have to look. We work with humility for ourselves and millions of Bianconeri families like us.”
"Juventus gave the structure to the national teams that won the world titles. And on the economic level with market operations, he has spent half a billion euros in recent years to buy players in Italy, contributing significantly to support the balance sheets of the Serie A and minor series teams”, recalled with pride Elkann, who speaking of the Bianconeri present stressed that it is a "hard moment" but assured that "we will get up"
"We went through critical moments, we always faced them, and we came out of it head-high. We will get out of it even now and time will give reason for our choices - said Elkann - This is not the first time this has happened to us. In 1980 a betting investigation came to involve Paolo Rossi (who would later be a stranger). The Juventus of Boniperti bought it despite the disqualification. Trapattoni continued to train him and successfully: the conquest of the twentieth Scudetto also brings his signature. His victory was also ours, and he re-ented all the controversy.”
Elkann then added that Juventus has always given the family "m much more joy and satisfaction than disappointment" and, in relation to the judicial events involving the company, reiterates the conviction "of having acted in total fairness. So we have defended ourselves and we will continue to assert our reasons, without arrogance, but in total respect of the institutions". For the future "no discontinuity with Andrea, on the contrary - explained the president of Exor - there is a clear continuity between the origins and today: an uninterrupted line, made of innovation, tenacity and above all of priceless emotions that make us happy to be Bianconeri".
Speaking of the present, the team arrived in the US to prepare for the new season, but the market still seems a little stuck: “The most important blow we've already done. It is the arrival in Turin of Cristiano Giuntoli, the new sporting director, who represents adaptation and innovation, in perfect continuity with our history. Giuntoli will bring to Juventus a way of working that values young talents and builds champions. Wherever he's been, he's done a great job in that regard. And now he will have at his disposal the many young and strong talents we have. Adaptation and innovation, in perfect continuity with our history.”
At the European level, he did not like the SuperLega's proposal, from which Juve recently pulled out: "The other national championships show a now evident drift: the best players go to play in England, ending up impoverishing local competitions. How do we respond to this challenge? That's the question. It is not a matter for Juve. It is a problem that affects all European football.”
Finally a spoiler about the centenarycelebrations: "It will be a party that will last until autumn. A series of moments to live in the family and with those who share a passion for Juve. It starts tomorrow on our website, then during the summer we will have other initiatives: on August 9 we will meet everyone at the Allianz Stadium for an open training and after other initiatives everything will culminate with two surprises ... Pure black and white joy."