ROME (ITALPRESS) – “It is a Serie B championship similar to the one I left in 2018: very balanced, hard-fought, with surprising results and with few points to divide the teams, with the exception of the top two in the standings Sassuolo and Pisa. A championship that is confirmed to be very interesting from a sporting point of view. As far as economic-financial sustainability is concerned, it is a championship that is living a particular moment, with many issues to deal with and with unconfirmed television revenues compared to those of the previous four years. There will be work to be done and choices to be made together with the clubs as to what the ways out might be to revalue the league. We are going to strengthen the structure of the League, we need our league to find more and more visibility and consensus.” Thus Paolo Bedin, new president of the Lega Serie B, host of ‘Radio Anch’io Sport’ on Rai Radio 1, on the state of health of Serie B. “It is an issue that Italian soccer has been carrying around for many, many years and that it must try sooner or later to solve,” Bedin continued, speaking about the problem of facilities, “Also because the presence of fans at the stadium is confirmed every week in all categories. Even yesterday we made 100 thousand spectators, on December 26 we made the second season record with over 120 thousand fans in the stands. There is such a deep-rooted following and passion that we need to take action so that stadiums keep up with the times and meet the needs of spectators, as has been the case in Europe in recent years. We obviously have very dated facilities: they also cost money for the routine and extraordinary maintenance that municipal governments have to support. We already have properties that are very difficult to sustain economically and financially, and the stadium investment would be an additional burden. We have to find the solution, it has to be found together with the institutions, the government and the federation. We have to go in this direction, because it is no longer possible to face the next decades with the current facility.” Format Coppa Italia, one proposal could be to have the B teams play at home: “This is where the tradition and football culture of individual countries fits in a lot,” explained the cadets’ number one, “Unlike England, Italy has always had a format in which the strongest plays at home. A dialogue can be opened, relationships must be vertical: we must establish a constant dialogue with the Lega Serie A and C. We have two new governance with great capacity for planning and sensitivity: Simonelli was our chairman of the board of auditors for nine years when we were in Serie B with Abodi, and with Marani I worked for a year and a half.” Finally, on a European competition between Serie B teams Mitropa Cup style: “There is a huge problem with calendars. Maybe it can be an idea to be relaunched in the near future.”- Photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
