Gazzoni: "Marchionne would torch Juventus if he could"
“I’ve asked Juventus for €113 million,” Frascara told Il Fatto Quotidiano.
“I’m genuinely interested to see what will happen on the 23rd of October in Turin, when Juventus will hold their next shareholders’ meeting. The club is on the stock market, yet hasn’t set aside a penny. They risk a charge for false accounting.
“They’ll have to cough it up eventually, they have the CONSOB (regulatory body for the Italian stock market) and the public prosecutor’s office to answer to. Not to mention the court of cassation, the same court that has confirmed that Juventus are guilty for Calciopoli and have to pay reparations. It’s written on page 137 of the sentence.
“Why 113 million? It’s simple, I’ve sued Juventus on two counts: €32 million for the Victoria 2000 family’s bankruptcy after Bologna’s relegation, and €34 million for the damages I myself have suffered. In total we’re talking €66 million, which with interests and a revaluation has increased to €113 million.”
Let’s talk about Juventus’ stockholder conference, set for the 23rd of October.
What’s so strange is that Juventus haven’t set aside any funds, despite staring down a sentence from the Court of Cassation. Juventus have €8 million in funds, plus a €34 million share premium account. In order to pay damages, they’d have to eat into their stockholders’ money. Let’s see what happens on the 23rd. I’m told that Antonio Giraudo is still guiding Andrea Agnelli, it doesn’t surprise me. I’m sure of one thing: if he could, Sergio Marchionne would torch Juventus.
I’m sorry, did you say Marchionne?
I did. When the club had its latest capital injection (of €120 million) in Autumn 2011, Exor took on 70% of that, and Marchionne was furious. I’m, well informed. He told Agnelli and the Elkann brothers that they should be ashamed to have wasted so much money over football. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes now that the club has to pay all this money back.
But Juve isn’t the only party that has to pay damages, right?
That’s true, we have Giraudo, Luciano Moggi, Massimo De Sanctis, the Della Valle brothers and Fiorentina director Sandro Mencucci, the first group for criminal conspiracy, the latter for fraud. But do you think I’d ask De Sanctis to pay damages? I’d never see penny one! Same goes for Moggi and Giraudo, and maybe even for the Della Valles: he could be worth more than Juve, but the question is, where’s the money? I’m sorry, I’m suing Juventus because they’re on the stock market. If Agnelli and the Elkanns need someone else to chip in, they’re free to do so.
How are the other aggrieved parties responding to the sentence?
The FIGC (Italian Football Federation) has gone from being hunted to being the hunter: Andrea Agnelli’s threat to obtain €444 million in damages has come to nothing. For his part, president Carlo Tavecchio has assured everyone that he’ll be claiming compensation, at least according to what I’ve read. Francesca Menarini (his successor as Bologna owner) is on matey terms with Moggi. Atalanta have asked for €63 million. Lecce and Brescia settled under the table, either in private or selling players worth ten million for one, there’s all sorts in football. The Consumers’ Association is asking for 30 million, too.
€113 million for you, €63 for Atalanta, €30 for the Consumers, and the Federation is thinking of suing: if it’s true that Juve’s going to have pay for all of this, the Old Lady is going to be hit by a tsunami!
Andrea Agnelli has two choices: he can either try to entrust his fortune to two-three “experts” and spin a different yarn, for example by claiming that Bologna were rubbish and would have gone down anyway. That, or asking the shareholders for time in which to sort it out, as he did with Lecce and Brescia. Otherwise, they’ll have to pay up. This could turn into a bloodbath. For everyone.
Are you optimistic?
The Juventus online community has reacted furiously on social media over the past few days. I’ve been gravely insulted. It’s a good sign, it means they’re scared.
