Sampdoria President Riccardo Garrone admits that he finds it hard to forgive Beppe Marotta for joining Juventus.
Marotta had been Sampdoria's general manager for eight years, masterminding their rise from the bottom of Serie B to a place in the Champions League qualifiers.
He left Marassi in the summer to rebuild Juventus after their disastrous season in Serie A.
Speaking to La Stampa, Garrone said: “We need to forgive in order to be good Christians. Even if, in certain cases it's tough to forgive.
“It's true we left each other on very bad terms. He had decided on a new experience? So be it. He wanted to take Del Neri with him? Very well. But he couldn't also take Paratici from me, knowing that we were counting on him.
“You don't behave like that. But it's water under the bridge. We have Gasparin and Di Carlo, and we'll do well.
“Marotta is one of the best sporting directors in Italy. He is an honest person in a world that isn't diamond pure.”
Garrone then gave his two shillings on Del Neri who also left for Juventus after just one year at Marassi.
“Del Neri is a man who I liked a lot, a completely new person with respect to the others I had worked with in the past.
“He soon intrigued me, so much so that after a couple of months I invited him to eat at my house with my wife.”
Finally, Garrone spoke about the futures of his two stars Giampaolo Pazzini and Antonio Cassano.
“I said that I wouldn't even sell him for €100m. I am not the kind of person to lose face: when I say something I mean it.
“There was a very elaborate offer for Pazzini, but I won't say who it was from: a loan worth €5m with an option to buy, which would total another €20m. But as you see Pazzini is here.
“Cassano has a contract, which expires in 2013 and he has a buy-out clause, applied for the first time in Italy, worth €20m. But he told me once that in the unlikely event he were to leave for whatever reason, he would make me earn at least double.”
FI
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Well he certainly will be holding a grudge on Sunday. He can stick that up his ass, it's not like we've achieved anything yet with his beloved men.