THE STATEMENTS OF DIRECTOR FILIPPO ANTONELLI

Filippo Antonelli, Sporting Director of Venezia FC, spoke today in the press room of Ca’ Venezia to analyze and answer journalists’ questions at the end of the 2024/25 football season.

Filippo Antonelli:
"We began the season under the banner of "Unione". Fueled by this passion, the unity between the team, the fans, the club, and the media allowed us—despite many difficulties—to reach the final matchday with the hope of accomplishing something extraordinary.
Our dream was to give this club and our amazing fans, who supported us until the very end, the gift of staying up, and for that, I thank them.

In the coming days, we’ll need to quickly process the sporting result and critically analyze the season: identifying both our strengths and areas for improvement, focusing our energy, ideas, and resources on the upcoming Serie B championship, a league we know well and that I have won twice.

In the next few weeks, I need to meet with the OPCO to align on objectives, budget, and planning. I am ambitious and feel a deep sense of responsibility toward the people of Venice, who have shown me great affection, both as a director and as a man. The farewell after the final match was truly powerful and emotional—it must serve as a source of energy to start next year in the best possible way.

I arrived in December 2022. President Duncan explained and inspired me with Venezia’s project, asking me to bring the team back to the top—first to Serie B and then to aim for Serie A. We were second-to-last in the Serie B standings, the economic and financial situation—as you all know—was difficult, and the technical-sporting project needed to be rebuilt. I accepted the challenge, and with the resources we had available, respecting financial balance and overcoming many obstacles, we first climbed the Serie B table to reach the playoffs and, the following season, achieved the dream of returning to the top division.
This year, we faced Serie A with a fighting spirit, with the ideas and passion that define us. We launched a technical project, knowing we had a team structure that was new to the league. We wanted to test the DNA of this group and then, in January, we strengthened it.
In both transfer windows—while respecting the OPCO's financial guidelines, which at times don’t align with market timing—we worked hard to provide Mr. Di Francesco with the most competitive squad possible.

My dream, that of my staff and of the club, was to keep fighting until the very end to stay in Serie A, giving our fans two consecutive seasons in the top flight.
There were flaws, clearly, but there were also many positives!
To date, a great strength of this club, of which I am proud, is that the majority of the players in the squad are owned by Venezia, and the technical and economic value of the team has increased thanks to the work of the coach, his staff, and the management of Venezia FC.
I am confident that from the discussions with the OPCO in the coming days, we will lay solid foundations to continue the club’s growth path and to prepare for a high-level Serie B campaign, as our fans deserve."