Serie B set for delay?
Monday 4 September, 2006
Saturday’s eagerly anticipated Serie B kick-off may be delayed given that several clubs have no television agreements in place.
The Second Division campaign is set to start at the weekend and a meeting will now take place on Tuesday between the Lega Calcio officials and television network representatives in an attempt to find a solution.
Alessandro Gaucci, technical director of Genoa, had already anticipated that there might be some problems ahead.
“There may be a delay to the beginning of the season,” he warned on Sunday. “Too many teams have not signed any contract with the networks and this may impede a regular start.”
Bologna President Alfredo Cazzola and Modena chief Luca Baraldi have mirrored similar concerns on Monday.
Approximately 300 Serie B matches have not yet been assigned to a broadcaster as Juventus and Genoa are the only clubs to have agreed a contract with Sky Italia.
The latter are also said to be close to reaching a compromise with Napoli and Lecce in regard to their home matches over the next year.
Public network RAI is seemingly not interested in transmitting Second Division matches and Sportitalia, who will show the Friday and Monday matches, may in the end decide to increase the number of matches it will cover.