The hundred years of the old Lady pass through Messina and do so in an absolute preview in the elegant Auditorium of the Gazzetta del Sud through the words of the managing director of Tuttosport, Guido Vaciago, author of the book “Juventus, the century of the Lambs”. An appointment strongly desired by the president of the Peloritan association “John Charles”, the never tame Gustavo Received who, supported by the Sicilian representatives of the Juventus Fan Club, Fabio Cappello and Salvatore Capraro, gave the many Juventus supporters the opportunity to listen, from the voice of an exceptional reporter, “the story of a club that over time has become the image of Italy”.
The journalist introduced the guests Saro Pasciuto who promptly introduced the two speakers Marco Capuano and Francesco Trimarchiwho intervened in great detail even on the hot topics that, in these days, warm the hearts of fans in the world of football.
Capuano’s analysis is analytical and deconstructing, listing the “very high and very difficult” moments of Juventus from 1923 to today. “A team – underlined the journalist – created in the image and likeness of its founders, that Agnelli family who, with one hundred uninterrupted years of ownership, have established a great record in terms of sporting and management continuity, with an eye always turned to the future (the owned stadium) without neglecting style (a family always close to its players as demonstrated by the Fagioli case””.
And this was precisely the hook offered by the journalist of the Via Bonino newspaper to Guido Vaciago to also take stock of the rumors that, a few weeks ago, some newspapers had spread about the alleged desire to divest the Juventus brand by the Agnelli family. “Juventus – underlined the director of Tuttosport – is not a “toy” for the Agnelli family but has always been an “industrial” activity taken seriously since Edoardo Agnelli became president in 1923. The Fordist system of Piedmontese entrepreneurs is found in its entirety, from the beginning, also in the football team, determining the transition from the amateur to the professional world of sport. For example, the coach – Vaciago recalled – at that time it was not clear what role he had and with the arrival of the Agnelli ownership the tasks began to be defined. A management team is set up and more generally the characteristics of the company begin to be glimpsed. Sport therefore becomes an activity to be safeguarded as a precious asset and even today Juventus – concluded the author of the book – is part of a complex portfolio of various activities within which the Juventus club is also found, on which the Exor group recently decided to invest 200 million euros to continue and relaunch its business”
Therefore, any hypothesis of the sale of Juventus has been flatly denied foreign investment funds were able to return to more specifically historical themes and Professor Francesco Trimarchi, a Vitruvian man and therefore also an all-round Juventus man, gave a clear reading of the book.
“The light and precise writing of the book – which I read with passion, began Trimarchi – immediately reveals a text that should be recommended even to the most reluctant to any form of reading. A pedagogical use is therefore recommended – continued the doctor devoted to literature – and it is no small feat the trademark of the preface which bears the signature of one of the greatest footballers of all time: Michel Platini who marked the history of football in the world. A book therefore destined to enter the library not only of every Juventus fan, but of every “man of good will”, capable of distinguishing himself and going beyond partisan support to embrace a reality made up of sensational successes, bitter defeats, phenomenal and dangerous comebacks descended. A very rich history, one hundred years long – reiterated Trimarchi – which still has a lot to say because behind Juventus the very skilled “street writer” Vaciago gave everyone the opportunity to review their own history and every single sports enthusiast.” .
A theme, that of sport, which had been identified by the host at the beginning of the evening, the editorial director of the Gazzetta del Sud Lino Morganteas “unifying and edifying” useful for the purpose of narrating a free business activity, capable of growing and adapting to changes in history and precisely for this living subject capable of making its fans fall in love.
Finally, a Juventus style well represented by the youngsters of the “Fair play Juventus Academy Messina” club who spoke with the vice-president Ignazio Consiglio and who brought a breath of healthy light-heartedness to an evening in which the simple historical memory risked overshadowing slowly the brilliant vivacity that hovers around the brand of the Juventus company which carries in its name the ideal of eternal youth.