Director Filippo Antonelli's statement

Filippo Antonelli, Sporting Director & General Manager of Venezia FC, spoke today at the Ca' Venezia press room to answer journalists' questions at the end of the summer transfer market session.

Filippo Antonelli
"To be competitive, in agreement with the group of owners and the coach, we started the season with a market strategy that had to achieve three fundamental objectives.

The first objective was to find a 'project' coach, and three months later, I can confirm that the choice of Mister Di Francesco makes me happy and confident. Thanks to his human qualities and his preparation, we can truly increase the technical and economic value of our team.
This objective consequently leads to the second one, which is to create a long-term project by investing in young and promising players, like those who arrived this summer during the transfer window and the youth players who have gone on loan or have already made their debut in Serie A. All this, of course, without forgetting that the group also includes experienced players whom we have decided to rely on.
The third objective we had was financial sustainability aimed at ensuring the club’s future.
On this aspect, I would like to thank the entire ownership group for their effort and for helping me meet all the objectives.

Having said that, I want to clarify the last transfer operation involving Giulio Maggiore. It was a last-minute opportunity that we tried to seize. Last-minute transfer dealings can, however, encounter some complications, due both to Venezia and Salernitana, but in this case, the only real culprit was time, which was insufficient to finalize the paperwork.

In conclusion, I want to leave an important message. This year, we face a season full of challenges, which we must confront with the strength of unity. A unity made up of the team led by the coach and his staff, the club, the ownership, the directors, the local press, but most importantly, our greatest asset, our fans. The great challenge of establishing Venezia FC as a Serie A club will only be achievable by staying united, leaving out of our unity those who could undermine and weaken our convictions. One match at a time, together with our fans, we will fight to become a team that is tough to face, thus achieving the ultimate goal, which is to play in Serie A in the 2025/26 season."