A bit of well-earned rest to ease tired legs after the trip home from China, but also a keen eye on everything going on around Juventus. The day after getting back to Italy following the Super Cup victory over Napoli, the Bianconeri general manager gave an interview to Sky Sport 24 on the phone.
Besides talking about the transfer market, always the hot topic in August, Marotta addressed two other issues: Napoli failing to attend the trophy presentation ceremony in Beijing and Zdenek Zeman’s criticism of Antonio Conte.
On the Super Cup, Marotta responded by referencing the London Olympics, which came to an end last night. “Every time the Olympics are held, beyond the competition and results themselves there are always new things coming out and a lot of it has been positive. The Olympics represent the true values of sport, a battle that can be uneven at times, because sometimes the contest can be one-sided, but it puts life values on show – ethical and human values to be held up as an example.”
The CEO also replied to Zdenek Zeman, who during a recent press conference passed judgement on Antonio Conte following the initial sentences handed out by the FIGC's sports tribunal in relation to match-fixing. “As a football man and the general manager of Juventus, I feel Zeman's comments are inappropriate. He was referring to Conte even though he didn't mention him specifically. It was either a joke, and therefore a worthless comment, or an intentional gibe. He admitted that he hadn't read the documentation himself and that he couldn't explain this first-instance ruling given to a fellow coach from the same association, who has been sentenced for failure to report rather than for any violation. And it has come about based on the word of a single footballer, which has not been confirmed by 24 other people, who in fact say the exact opposite. This is all part of a code of sporting justice that is obsolete in the eyes of many and not in tune with the bigger footballing picture. Football is not only a sport or a social phenomenon but also an important economic phenomenon. When a manager is suspended it causes an incalculable damage to the football company because a great director is lost. The manager of a football club can placed on a par with the manager of a company with huge responsibilities, so firm evidence is needed and in this case there is no firm evidence. We have here an obsolete code in need of reform but also a set of rules which allow the coach to carry out his job during the week. We followed the rules in the first game, the Super Cup, when the coach was replaced in the dugout. So I find these latest remarks by Zeman out of place. He had his say on Juventus' titles just two weeks ago and now he is speaking out against a fellow manager, which I think is even more serious. I hope the president of the coaches' association takes a stance on this matter because situations such as these only create more tension in what is already a delicate time for Italian football. I have many memories of Zeman, but one which sticks very clearly in my mind is from May 2005 when he was the Lecce manager. In a game between Lecce and Parma that ended 3-3, he left the dugout ten minutes before the final whistle, turned away from the pitch and watched the stands until the game had finished, smoking a cigarette. I didn't understand it then and I still don't understand it now. I'd like him to provide us with an answer to that rather than getting involved in matters that don't concern him.”
Source: Juventus.com
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