Contacted by the TuttoCalcioCatania.com editorial team, former rossazzurro bomber Claudio Pelosi He briefly recalled the three years he spent in Catania. He then moved from space to the present moment Catania experienced with an idea that turned to the recent past, with the company’s bankruptcy, and into the near future, under the management of the Pelligra Group. Finally, as a former Adelaide City player there can be no reflection on Australian football and potential interests which could directly include Catania Calcio.
Claudio, with Catania, I have lived three years of the third division …
“Without a doubt it was a unique and very positive Catania experience. I have very great and exciting memories, even if unfortunately on a sporting level we couldn’t get to the second division. Despite somewhat choppy results and an extended stay in the third series, the stadium on Sunday was permanently full and all the fans were always ready to support, motivate and drag us. Catania was a really great adventure. I will never forget the matches at home, averaging about 10/11 thousand spectators per game, winning 2-0 at the “Favorita” in Palermo. This was a race that we dominated from start to finish, and then that surface-to-air missile that Cipriani fired from over thirty meters away was something truly magical and exceptional. Although many years have passed, social networks help to keep the memories of that moment alive and there are still many fans who contact me to tell me about the joy and emotions they felt. Catania made me experience unique sensations and that is why I will never be able to forget them.“
Today, Calcio Catania 1946 no longer exists, but it is a moment of rebirth.
“Compared to the events of my time, with the events of ’93, the course was very different even if the epilogue was unfortunately the same. At that time, radiation was a disgrace the Federation had made towards the city and Knight Maximin. My companions and I learned the news during the summer holidays and from that moment were free to marry elsewhere while Catania, while she managed to avoid her final disappearance, had to begin again of the distinction. Now the story is completely different since the historic club no longer exists and you will have to start from scratch. I’m also very sorry because I’ve been hoping for the past couple of years that we’ll be able to initiate a recovery process that never materialized. Now we can’t help but look forward and hope that this new Italian-Australian owner can restore the luster of Catania Calcio.“
Speaking of Ross Pellegra, what impression has the new president of Catania Calcio made on you?
“At first it made a good impression on me. Moreover, I am very attached to Australia, having played there for three years, so in my view it would be a perfect combination that would merge two truths very dear to me. An Australian president owns Catania, what more could I ask for? Seriously, Ross Pellegra seems to me the right person in the right place. Many of my Australian friends told me that he is a very serious and important businessman with great economic potential. It seems to me that the Pelligra Group had the ambition, the potential and the will to relaunch the blushing blues and their arrival in the city allowed to reignite that passion and enthusiasm that seemed to have been completely extinguished after the bitter disappointment of failure. So I hope the new property will give a lot of joy and satisfaction to this wonderful city and its fans.“
As a former Adelaide City footballer And a connoisseur of Australian football, can you tell us how the Australian championship is different from the Italian championship and what is the trend towards the world of football?
“hOr I played for three years in the A-League, where I played about eighty games and scored about thirty goals, so I have first-hand experience in the league. Moreover, together with my partners, I have been working for some time in the Territory through AG Sport e Servizi which aims to bring some Italian players to the Australian minor leagues in order to create jobs and help the track at the same time. From the growth of the entire domestic football movement. The Australian Championship is very different from ours. First of all in the A-League, i.e. the Italian League, there are no relegation and the minor leagues are not organized at the national level but at the provincial level (NPL). Each major county has a certain number of teams and only the squads that have managed to win in their group at the end of the season have the opportunity to compete for the cup (Australian Cup) by playing with the first division teams. It’s a very different world of football than ours, but from 2023 things will be attempted to change by creating the Second Division, a kind of second division, thus introducing the relegation and promotion mechanism. However, it must be borne in mind that at the male level, football is not a major sport because rugby, cricket and many other activities are very strong. But in recent years a lot of work has been done and will continue to do so to improve the level of the tournament, and recently, many foreign players and coaches have also arrived, including Alessandro Diamante, who is now the backbone of the tournament. Western Union in Melbourne. Let’s say the path is still long but we are slowly trying to make things better.“
At the moment, the city of Catania and Australia is closer than ever. Do you think then that Ross Pellegra’s acquisition of Catania Calcio could develop partnerships, both commercial and sporting, between the Etna Square and the oceanic nation?
“I really think and believe that having two Italian and Australian Championship experts like Grella and Bresciano on Chairman Pelligra’s staff is not accidental but a precursor to a potential partnership between Catania and Australia. I even believe that this option was already part of the Ross-Pellegra project at the time of the expression of interest and I think this potential and virtual collaboration could benefit both Catania and the Australian Federation. In any case, I have great confidence in the Pelligra Group because I sincerely hope that this group will invest the time, resources and energy to bring this fantastic club and its fantastic fans back to the top. In this regard, I would like to thank all the supporters of the Rosazurri for the testimonials of appreciation and expressions of affection that they still give me today, which makes me very moved. Going back with them to the moments I lived at the foot of Etna gives me goosebumps, so I can’t help but feel proud and proud to wear the red and blue shirt. During my career, I played in thirteen clubs, but with only 2-3 squares I managed to form a very deep and strong bond, and among these, Catania has a special place in my heart. I wish with all my heart to celebrate the return of this city to the great national stages as soon as possible. A hug to all the people of Etna.“
Thanks to Claudio Pelosi for his kindness, availability, and interview time.
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