22 January 2023
Here’s what Juventus Chief Executive Officer Maurizio Scanavino had to say ahead of Juventus’s home clash with Atalanta.
First of all, on behalf of the whole club, I’d like to take some distance from the 'pseudo-supporters' who have used language filled with hatred and threats regarding Gravina, his family and prosecuting officer Chiné. We’ll support our defence with great respect and skill in the right way and in the right place. We believe this sentence is completely unfair. In the next few days, we expect to hear the reasons, which should arrive by the end of the month at the latest, but we’ll certainly appeal to CONI to reiterate our position, which is very solid and clear, and was already accepted during the ordinary hearing. We believe we’re in a strong position and we’ll continue down this path. It’s not just Juventus and our fans that think this is an unfair ruling. I must also thank the supporters of other clubs, as well as people who’ve been working in football for a long time and famous faces on TV and on social media who have shown that they understand the unfairness and exaggerated nature of these decisions.
I think they have understood how the FIGC justice system can behave in an unfair way. This is worrying because it’s happened to Juventus now, but it could happen to another club in the future. [Federico] Cherubini is in the role of sporting director and has several duties. Of course, he is unable to perform in a range of fields, including the transfer market. We’ve got ourselves organised and reacted swiftly, while showing great togetherness within the club. We’ve decided to appoint Francesco Calvo as our Chief Football Officer, with Cherubini, Braghin and all operations reporting to him. Francesco is an established person in the world of football with a wealth of experience, having spent time at Roma, Juventus and Barcelona, while also working for multinational Philip Morris for a long time. With regard to possible transfer dealings, Francesco will help me out, along with current Next Gen sporting director Giovanni Manna, who is an extremely capable individual.
We have to be ready for everything. Unfortunately, this sentence has taught us that it’s pointless being optimistic or pessimistic, but we should simply be ready and determined. Even in this situation, which we didn’t expect could reach these sorts of dimensions, it was still a possible outcome. We have a group of extremely skilled people and capable lawyers, so we’ll continue to defend our position with great determination.
I spoke to the team and there was a real sense of togetherness from the very first meeting with the coach yesterday morning and the one with president Ferrero. I was surprised to see the players so calm and determined. They were all aware and knowledgeable. Their messages are further confirmation of the mood within the camp.
As you can imagine, this is a very unusual time. We must be clear-headed and set our priorities. Within the sports department, the situation is clear, solid and calm. We expect to pick up lots of points on the pitch. Right now it's crucial we maintain order and discipline, then there will be a phase two. Everyone has their own skills. We're a team of professionals with a wide range of expertise in running the club, the sports side and legal issues. The president has reiterated that our approach will be competent and respectful.