Lecce President Saverio Sticchi Damiani has declared that he is opposed to the idea of playoffs and playouts in Serie A because they ‘seem like a lottery’.
Playoffs and playouts have been touted in the event that all remaining Serie A fixtures cannot be fulfilled, but Sticchi Damiani is against such an outcome.
“We didn’t choose to go back to playing because we wanted to,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Lecce President Saverio Sticchi Damiani has declared that he is opposed to the idea of playoffs and playouts in Serie A because they ‘seem like a lottery’.
Playoffs and playouts have been touted in the event that all remaining Serie A fixtures cannot be fulfilled, but Sticchi Damiani is against such an outcome.
“We didn’t choose to go back to playing because we wanted to,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Rather, it was out of a sense of responsibility towards the system and an industry that produces tax contributions of over €1bn.
“I specify that for Lecce, from a strictly economic point of view, returning to play wouldn’t be a matter of life or death.
“In recent years, we’ve managed our budgets carefully. We have no bank exposures of any kind.
“The only verdicts I know are the ones that come at the end of matches. Having playoffs and playouts after four months of no football seems like a lottery.”
The patron then criticised the ‘abhorrent’ possibility of his side being relegated to Serie B if the decision was made to freeze the league table.
“Until proven otherwise, relegations by default, and in the event that would be the case if the season didn’t resume, only occur in cases where a club deserves to be heavily punished for committing, for example, a sporting offence.
“Treating a pandemic in the same way is abhorrent.”
The Salentini are currently in the last relegation spot yet are level on points with Genoa, who are 17th and safe as it stands.