Ferrara in shock at Juve tragedy Saturday 16 December, 2006
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Ciro Ferrara and Michelangelo Rampulla expressed their shock at the tragic drowning of two Juventus youth team players.
Last night the Serie B match against Cesena was postponed after the bodies of 17-year-old Alessio Ferramosca and goalkeeper Riccardo Neri – who would’ve turned 17 today – were found in an artificial lake in the Vinovo training ground.
“This is the worst day of my life,” said a visibly moved Ferrara, who is in charge of the Bianconeri youth system.
“I knew these boys and had seen them around, so it’ll be strange not to see them again. I am destroyed. Please don’t make me speak, I can’t manage it right now.”
Rampulla, another former Juve legend, is now the goalkeeping Coach and was stunned at the tragedy to have struck this club.
“Last year Neri was one of the main protagonists in the Scudetto Allievi victory. I saw great qualities in him and wanted to let him train with the first team next season. He would’ve been ready to work with Gianluigi Buffon.”
The reasons behind the accident are not yet clear, but it seems the two teenagers climbed over a fence to recover some footballs that had fallen into the lake, which is 50m by 30m and 5m deep, after a Christmas party.
It’s believed they slipped on the plastic sheeting used to keep the water in the artificial structure and couldn’t climb back out.
Ferramosca was pronounced dead at the scene, but desperate attempts to reanimate Neri at the hospital failed.
“This is such an absurd tragedy, it makes no sense,” added Rampulla. “When we think of everything that’s happened to us this year, one wonders what else can hit this club?”
It has certainly been a traumatic 2006 for the Turin giants. Calciopoli saw them demoted to Serie B and director Gianluca Pessotto is only now working towards full recovery after falling from a window at the club headquarters in an apparent suicide attempt.
Ferramosca’s father, Lucio, is the vice-President of amateur club side Atletico Mirafiori, where Alessio first showed his talents. His family had until recently lived only a few miles from the Vinovo training ground, as he was a native of Turin.
Neri was from Florence and his family had been preparing the celebrations for today, his 17th birthday.
There will be a minute’s silence before all Serie A and B games this weekend in memory of the two youngsters.
Channel 4
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Ciro Ferrara and Michelangelo Rampulla expressed their shock at the tragic drowning of two Juventus youth team players.
Last night the Serie B match against Cesena was postponed after the bodies of 17-year-old Alessio Ferramosca and goalkeeper Riccardo Neri – who would’ve turned 17 today – were found in an artificial lake in the Vinovo training ground.
“This is the worst day of my life,” said a visibly moved Ferrara, who is in charge of the Bianconeri youth system.
“I knew these boys and had seen them around, so it’ll be strange not to see them again. I am destroyed. Please don’t make me speak, I can’t manage it right now.”
Rampulla, another former Juve legend, is now the goalkeeping Coach and was stunned at the tragedy to have struck this club.
“Last year Neri was one of the main protagonists in the Scudetto Allievi victory. I saw great qualities in him and wanted to let him train with the first team next season. He would’ve been ready to work with Gianluigi Buffon.”
The reasons behind the accident are not yet clear, but it seems the two teenagers climbed over a fence to recover some footballs that had fallen into the lake, which is 50m by 30m and 5m deep, after a Christmas party.
It’s believed they slipped on the plastic sheeting used to keep the water in the artificial structure and couldn’t climb back out.
Ferramosca was pronounced dead at the scene, but desperate attempts to reanimate Neri at the hospital failed.
“This is such an absurd tragedy, it makes no sense,” added Rampulla. “When we think of everything that’s happened to us this year, one wonders what else can hit this club?”
It has certainly been a traumatic 2006 for the Turin giants. Calciopoli saw them demoted to Serie B and director Gianluca Pessotto is only now working towards full recovery after falling from a window at the club headquarters in an apparent suicide attempt.
Ferramosca’s father, Lucio, is the vice-President of amateur club side Atletico Mirafiori, where Alessio first showed his talents. His family had until recently lived only a few miles from the Vinovo training ground, as he was a native of Turin.
Neri was from Florence and his family had been preparing the celebrations for today, his 17th birthday.
There will be a minute’s silence before all Serie A and B games this weekend in memory of the two youngsters.
Channel 4
