By Andrew Warshaw
October 31 – Juventus President Andrea Agnelli has told shareholders that Italian football is in serious trouble and needs to take urgent action.
Agnelli (pictured top) said the domestic game, rocked by a series of match-fixing cases in recent months, was also behind the times when it came to structure and was in dire need of drastic reform to prevent it being left behind.
“We support a structural reform of professional football…those who don’t condemn Italy to being marginalised in Europe and the world,” Agnelli told the club’s annual general meeting.
“Reform of the league, the number of professional clubs and the youth sector.
“Reform of the status of professional sports, currently governed by a law from 1981 – trademark protection, stadium regulations.
“Today, Italian football finds itself at a crossroads.
“We all need to ask ourselves what Italian football will have become in a few years’ time.
“Many countries have experienced a footballing decline but none have had such a rapid descent.
“We are faced with a structural collapse which cannot simply be put down to the economic crisis.
“The football world is evolving but it will not wait for Italy.
“Think that at your peril.
“Our coaches and our best talents have new stages on which they can test themselves, from Brazil to China to Russia and the Middle East.
“We all have to adapt.”
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