La Vecchia Signora compra un vecchio gioiello: Calcio Italiano 2018-19

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

eh? Napoli made profits for 10 straight years after promotion, then they made fairly small losses in three of the last four seasons, but they made a huge profit in 2017. Napoli have an Arsenal sized pile of cash by italian standards. €120 million last year. Napoli's problem is that they can't increase their gate money, and no-one wants to give them commercial income. Well that's what their accounts say.

[ursus arctos]

You are taking their accounts seriously

Thats funny

[ursus arctos]

To be a bit more precise, you are taking the accounts of a privately held entity from the Mezzogiormo literally.

I can introduce you to a number of gentlemen who would be extremely interesting selling you their enterprises on that basis.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Well, there's nothing particularly suspicious about them. I don't see where they are hiding the other expenses. They match the way they appear to be on the pitch. A well run club that buy youngish players (by italian standards) don't pay them very much money, and sell one player to superclubs for silly money every season. Their income is largely dependent on TV and European competition. Unless the owners are paying players extra money under the counter, or pulling large sums of money out of it I don't see why they would bother.

[ursus arctos]

I will be sure that you are on the list for the next round of FDI opportunities in Calabrian solar power and waste management projects. The projected returns are extraordinary.

My guess is that the funny business is on the income side.

Though you are right that they are relatively well run, especially for Italy.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

See I don't see how that would work. Once you set aside the money received for transfers, over two thirds of the remaining money comes straight from UEFA and the league. They get less than €20 million a year from the ground, and their sponsorship income is very small, but in line with Roma. See I don't see what the point of it would be in fudging the accounts. See there's no upside to napoli hiding expenses, all that turning a profit in football gets you is death-threats from fans who believe you haven't spent enough, and makes you liable for taxation. And napoli seem to have paid over €100 million in taxes on their profits. (or as close as italian institutions get to paying tax) I just don't see why Napoli would bother to cheat in this manner. It would be considerably easier for them to admit to higher expenses, or lower commercial income.

Di laurentiis does seem to be complaining quite loudly about the redevelopment in the ground, which does seem to be very much following a more traditional southern italian approach.

[ursus arctos]

You just don't understand Neapolitan culture . . .

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Nah, it's more likely to be what it seems to be, a club taking the opportunity of relegation and bankruptcy to basically start over, and rebuild gradually. There are no signs on the pitch that they are doing anything other than operating like a second tier club, trying to steadily build its way up to being a first tier club, and taking advantage of the chaotic shitness of three of the four clubs with a higher turnover, to essentially establish themselves as the best club in italy not called Juventus, on a fraction of the budget.

I think it's worth noting that there's very little talk of Napoli building a new stadium, even though De Laurentiis has called the san Paolo "a toilet," Even though they have a pile of cash, and it's something that the owners could legitimately help pay for, and could do something about their tiny matchday income. (Though there's got to be a low ceiling on how much money you would be able to make in a new stadium in Naples) and I can't help feeling that some of the reticence has to do with the certainty that Building anything in southern Italy is going to involve you in the more traditional aspects of neapolitan life, that they may have done well to largely avoid.

[ursus arctos]

Atalanta are also trying to capitalise on the disarray in Milano; they have refused to release Gasparini from his contract (which runs through 2021), so he won't be managing Roma next season.

If only they didn't have to play their Champions League matches in Reggio Emilia.

[danielmak]

There have only been two consistently successful coaches at Roma since I started following the club closely in 1998-99: Capello and Spalletti. Although Capello won the title, I was glad the left when he did (other than the fact that he seemed to have lined up Ibra, who then went to Juve). Spalletti is a good fit at Roma for some reason. Everyone else is chewed up pretty quickly. Perhaps this was Totti's influence, I don't know. Either way, I wouldn't expect Gasparini to last at Roma. I say, bring back Spalletti even if he left for Inter. The other coach that I would like to see at Roma is Prandelli even though his first stint at Roma last 30 days (?) or something like that. I know Prandelli's stock has fallen. He was wonderful at Fiorentina and for Italy but has had a rough go since. I also think Montella would be good at Roma, but since he's back with Fiorentina, that won't happen soon. Then again Serie A coaches change quickly.

[Kevin S]

Quite the turnaround in the playoff final. Congratulations to Hellas Verona, straight back up to Serie A.

[Kevin S]

And the automatically promoted teams are Brescia and Lecce, who have been away for a pretty long time.

[slackster]

What the hell is happening at the bottom of Serie B this season? I just went to check how Venezia got in in their relegation playoff v Salernitana, and see it was cancelled, due to Palermo’s initial expulsion, and Foggia’s points deduction, and now back on after those clubs appealed their punishments with some success.

With the 3 clubs kicked out at the beginning of the season, it seems a right pigs ear of a competition this year. Anybody throw any light on what the hell is going on?

[ursus arctos]

Just the usual catastrophe

Palermo had qualified for the promotion playoffs, only to be relegated for financial shenanigans before they began. Their second appeal saw a reduction in the penalty to a 20 point deduction, which was enough to keep them in Serie B while relegating Foggia (Carpi and Padova has already gone down). The "playout" between Venezia and Salernitana (first leg now on Wednesday) will determine the fourth club to be relegated.

And yes, there are, as always, various challenges and appeals in process, so we won't be completely sure of who will play in Serie B until next season starts.

BTW, Hellas overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit against Cittadella, with their 3-0 win at home assuring their return to Serie A.

[Ray de Galles]

The clinching goal came in with about seven minutes left, didn't it?

Coming up for twenty years that I've been meaning to visit the Bentegodi to see them play. I really need to get it sorted.

[ursus arctos]

Yes it did, but Cittadella were down to nine men and there was a strong sense of inevitability about it.

I can assure that the Bentegodi hasn't changed during that time. Or indeed, since the 1990 World Cup. There is still a large mural of Ciao.

[Ray de Galles]

Oh gawd, you're only making my longing to go there worse!

Didn't realise about the red cards, I was following on their italian language facebook while at the Scottish Junior final.

[Ray de Galles]

I also didn't realise 2-0 would have been enough for them anyway as an aggregate draw would promote the higher placed side.

[ursus arctos]

It would have gone to extra time if they hadn't scored the third. The best placed club advancing only comes into play after that.

As to the ground, do you have other cherished possessions that you have exposed to the elements for 30 years?

[Felicity, I guess so]

Glad to see Brescia back, less so Verona

[Satchmo Distel]

Inter targets: Federico Chiesa, Lukaku (but he'd have to take a big wage cut), Džeko, Barella. Supposedly a 200 million Euro war-chest

https://sempreinter.com/2019/06/03/i...ew-boss-conte/

And still they'll finish 3rd in the group after a dismal loss to Spurs, Chelsea or whomever.

[danielmak]

I'd be good with a Dzeko sale.

Well, I'm going to find out next season of the lack of coaching success at Roma is Roma or if it was Totti/DeRossi. With both of these guys now retired we'll see if Paulo Fonseca can make it through his contract. I doubt it.

[ursus arctos]

Those aren't the only two options.

There's also the piazza calda theory that maintains that Roma is the most difficult job in Serie A because of the absolute hothouse environment the players and management find themselves in, an environment largely animated by supporters who seem to believe that AS Roma"s should be equivalent to that of the Legions at the peak of the Empire.

Totti and De Rossi were both products of that environment and did quite a bit to fuel it, but it existed before they first put on the shirt and will continue now that they have hung up their boots,

[Flynnie]

Yes it did, but Cittadella were down to nine men and there was a strong sense of inevitability about it.

I can assure that the Bentegodi hasn't changed during that time. Or indeed, since the 1990 World Cup. There is still a large mural of Ciao.

So like every other Italian stadium, Juventus aside.

Is Stadio della Roma ever getting built?

[ursus arctos]

Your guess is as good as mine.

What I do know is that Pallotta's patience is wearing thin and that he would definitely take a decent offer for the club were one forthcoming.