EXCLUSIVE: Serie A CEO wants swift conclusion to Juventus scandal
In the exclusive interview with Flashscore, De Siervo spoke about the possible punishment to Juventus and detailed Serie A's measures to combat racism in the league. The CEO also explained why Italian teams are enjoying success in European competitions, with five sides in the semi-finals of major tournaments.
Check out the highlights of the conversation below.
Juventus scandal
Juve have provisionally recouped the 15 points lost from the club's tax fraud scandal, but they are awaiting a retrial. Asked about a possible outcome before the end of the Serie A season, De Siervo showed optimism.
"I think we will have a decision before the end of the championship. We hope that this problem will be solved as soon as possible, and we wish that this will be decided within the deadline (of 30 days)," he said.
De Siervo ruled out that the Juventus case will damage the image of Serie A.
"On the contrary. Italy is the only country that investigates this and takes action. If the country doesn't investigate anything, nothing happens."
Episodes of racism
The CEO stressed that the league has been carrying out actions to combat racism in stadiums. De Siervo cited the punishment for Juventus fans who committed racist offences against Romelu Lukaku in the Italian Cup semi-final and detailed Serie A's actions.
"We are taking measures, such as cameras in the stadiums and facial recognition. That way we find the person responsible for the acts and ensure he no longer goes to the stadium.
"Recently we had the news that 171 Juventus fans have received this penalty. They are out of Italian football forever. The way forward is: no mercy for racists," he declared.
Success in Europe
Italy has five representatives among the semi-finalists of major European competitions: Inter Milan and AC Milan in the Champions League; Juventus and Roma in the Europa League; and Fiorentina in the Conference League. De Siervo attributed the country's success to three reasons.
"The first is that we are a league with four different champions in four years. That has raised the level of competition. The second is that in Italy you are always taught how to play football.
"We are a country of great coaches. The greatest is Carlo Ancelotti, who you all know. But there's a whole generation of coaches. And football is always played with the head", he stated.
"The third is the big investment that national and international groups are making, because Italian football is returning to the level it had. Calcio is back."
Stadium refurbishment
De Siervo acknowledged that Italian football's old stadiums are a problem. The Serie A CEO mentioned the difficulty several clubs have in modernising their homes, but cited Atalanta's refurbishment of the Gewiss Stadium as a successful example.
"In the next five or six years everything tends to change. And we hope to have modern stadiums, like those we saw at the World Cup in Qatar," projected De Siervo.
Although Serie A is not directly linked to Italy's bid to host UEFA EURO 2032, the period cited by the boss coincides with the reform planning of the arenas that can host the tournament.
