Torino president Urbano Cairo discussed the Coronavirus emergency, it’s effect on Italian football and those that don’t understand the extent of the problem in an interview in today’s paper edition of the Turin based newspaper La Stampa.
“If I think that in the league meeting on 10 March there were still those who were talking about training and getting back into the game, it’s logical that time has been lost. Those topics, to hear them now, seem alien.”
The Italian then discussed his reaction to some club president’s pushing for a quicker return to training.
“I said it immediately, ‘if we don’t take drastic decisions, even moving the fans will contribute to an exponential increase in the number of those infected. This emergency has compacted us, there are more units than before. Many hawks have become doves even though there is still some left who want to do the phenomenon, who break the front to have advantages. Cunning, small caboose attitudes. This is not the time.”
He didn’t shy away from the fact that he was referring to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and Lazio president Claudio Lotito.
“Ask them. Just, it seems crazy to me to make a theory based on the contagion data. To say ‘my region has no problem’ with such an evolving situation is an unfortunate phrase. Then the virus explodes in Fondi and then… The other teams don’t think like this.”
Cairo tried to understand why these presidents are thinking like this.
“I suppose because of sporting interests, maybe to take advantage of the preparation.”
The Torino president spoke about when the football season would end.
“It is pointless to venture into predictions, in the face of a pandemic we can only sail along what we see. Fixing a beginning or an end is meaningless now, but if we go back to the closed doors games then it is the most likely.”
Finally, Cairo spoke about the request to pay players less for the months that they cannot work due to the emergency.
“It will be inevitable. We are faced with a systemic problem that is in danger of imploding without any major measures. I think the players are the first not to want it, they’re guys who have heads. We need to limit the damage here, then we’ll think about economic reconstruction. Soccer as in all other sectors.”
Serie A, like most other leagues around Europe, has been postponed due to the Coronavirus emergency. UEFA agreed to postpone Euro 2020 to next summer to allow the leagues to finish with regularity, but the situation is still unclear and there are many unanswered questions.