EXCLUSIVE: What is Tavecchio doing meeting former Juve AD Giraudo?
Giraudo, 69, was the more aggressive member of Juventus’ so-called Triad from 1994 to 2006, until the famous match-fixing scandal saw him be banned from any involvement whatsoever with Italian football.
He was also, however, seen as a surrogate father by Andrea Agnelli, and has likely remained as such, with the rumour mill indicating on numerous occasions that Giraudo still hold what seems to be at the very least an informal advisory role with the club.
Though he’s moved to London, Giraudo visits Turin often, not to mention Milan, where he stays in a hotel very close to Piazza San Babila.
It was there that Giraudo was spotted with Tavecchio, who heads the same federation that kicked Giraudo out of football. What kind of message does that send?
Was it supposed to be a top secret meeting? Maybe not, otherwise they wouldn’t have met in the hotel’s main lobby. Either way, it wasn’t a secret for long, as journalist Giuseppe Cruciani just happened to be in the area: having taken a picture of the two, he then did his best to overhear their conversation, which he then reported to Dagospia.
To summarise, Tavecchio wanted Juventus to call things quits over Juventus’ civil suit against the FIGC, something Giraudo bullishly refused. The latter can do what he wants, and as a private individual can meet whomever he pleases, even if it was probably at Andrea Agnelli’s instigation.
Tavecchio, for his part, can’t meet anyone who has been banned by the federation. Remember when Alessio Secco and Roberto Bettega were trying to seal the deal for Domenico Criscito and bring him to Juventus? They made the mistake of calling suspended Genoa president Enrico Preziosi, and were themselves told to take a one-month walk.
The FIGC president has gauchely defended himself, claiming that their encounter was casual, though he never explained what he was doing there, who he was supposed to meet, or what was discussed with Giraudo.
This is one of the biggest news stories to come out of the murky waters of Italian waters… yet few papers have talked of it. La Stampa, the Agnelli family’s pride and joy, hasn’t mentioned it at all.
One thing is certain, at least to me: whilst we try and find out more of what was said, president Tavecchio should resign. Giraudo can do what he wants.
