The tones of the confrontation around Reggina are raised in view of the appeal to the Council of State on August 29 to which the hopes of recovering Serie B are linked. In the eye of the storm is the owner in pectore of the amaranth company Manuele Ilari. The priority is that the conditions are created for the team’s training to restart and to understand more about the amaranth sports project. The first step must be to pay salaries to those who work at “Sant’Agata”: «The employees are not from Reggina, but from a cooperative», said Ilari, a guest of Radio Antenna Febea.
The mayors Paolo Brunetti and Carmelo Versace have pointed out that only a few tens of thousands of euros would be enough to restart the activities. «If – said the Roman entrepreneur – the problem is 30,000 euros, I’ll have to call the fund and have them transferred. A few days ago, the fund faced 144,000 euros in expenses relating to agreements with creditors that have been respected».
Fondo is a key word in Ilari’s statements. «Saladini – he explained – would not have sold to the first one that happened. He signed a preliminary agreement with Guild Capital which was to carry a fund that did not yet have the necessary translated deeds in England and the signature of the consul. They were therefore unable to carry out the operation at that moment due to the urgency. I, who had to represent the company as president, was asked for a further effort. That of temporarily holding the shares in my name. It was supposed to be a week-long passage in view of the Tar which then went badly, now we have to wait for the last step ».
Today Ilari therefore holds 100% of the shares, but he announced that in the event of admission to B, things would change. With the entrance to the fund. but also of a new shareholder: «In recent days I have taken action to bring Dr. Gianluca Regali of Leonori Spa into the company with the position of vice president and 20% of the shares. It is a company with a turnover of over 130 million».
He also spoke of the players who decided to put the club in formal notice: «The players – he said – had to continue training. Now the legal proceedings have started and we will ask for damages. There were all the conditions for training. Nobody said that the Sant’Agata was also open on August 15th for maintenance».
But Ilari himself a few hours later denied himself with a clarification: “In complete denial of what has emerged, I declare that I have reported that it was my intention to contact Dr. Regali to propose the position of Vice President and the relative purchase of the company shares but this did not happen and therefore the question raised is to be considered absolutely concluded “.
Shortly before the broadcast, a very harsh statement had arrived from the acting metropolitan mayor Carmelo Versace. «Mr. Ilari – he underlined – has amply demonstrated that he does not have the depth, credibility, experience and reliability necessary to represent Reggina. He resigns immediately, hands over the title to the city and goes back to dealing exclusively with its screening rooms. Reggina is a serious matter».
The risk that is feared on the horizon is that Reggina may continue to be in a situation of total stalemate until 29 August. «We need – explained Versace – actions, facts, concreteness. The people of Reggio don’t know what to do with the fried air. Therefore, within 24 hours, Mr. Ilari would do well to show papers, names and documents in his possession to shed light on the saddest page of a more than 100-year-old story. By and no later than next Sunday, then pay any outstanding salary, restore dignity and safety to workers and guarantee the resumption of training at Sant’Agata. Finally, he resigns and gives back to the city what belongs to the city. Reggina belongs neither to Mr. Ilari, nor to imaginary foreign funds, nor to those who make money in a sick football».
The opinion of the representatives of the institutions reflects that of organized supporters “As far as we are concerned – the Curva Sud had highlighted in the press release – Mr. Ilari’s journey with Reggina must not even begin”.
Yesterday another banner appeared outside the Granillo with an eloquent message for Ilari: «Is the message not clear to you? We don’t want you in Reggio».
The amaranth club has been on its toes for a month
The purchase of Reggina by Manuele Ilari took place on 20 July. The Roman entrepreneur, active in the cinema sector, has acquired 100% of the shares. Based on what has been declared by the buyer, in the case of Serie B, the arrival of new investor-shareholders is expected to give solidity to the project. However, if the appeal to the Council of State were unsuccessful, the company would return to the ownership of Felice Saladini. Immediately after the appeal to the Tar which confirmed Reggina’s exclusion from the championship, the players put the club in default. The team no longer trains at the Sant’Agata sports center due to conditions deemed unsuitable for professional training and salaries not received since June. In recent days, the players have proclaimed “formal abstention from work”.