Spezia are in Serie A for the first time in their history, something even patron Gabriele Volpi admits he ‘didn’t expect’ to happen, but coach Vincenzo Italiano is going nowhere.
The tiny club from Liguria had to rebuild from scratch when going bankrupt in 2008, but got past Frosinone in the Serie B promotion play-off final on Thursday evening.
“We started from Serie D and kept growing all the way until Serie A,” Volpi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Spezia are in Serie A for the first time in their history, something even patron Gabriele Volpi admits he ‘didn’t expect’ to happen, but coach Vincenzo Italiano is going nowhere.
The tiny club from Liguria had to rebuild from scratch when going bankrupt in 2008, but got past Frosinone in the Serie B promotion play-off final on Thursday evening.
“We started from Serie D and kept growing all the way until Serie A,” Volpi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I didn’t expect us to get promoted, perhaps because our team was stronger last season. The credit goes to our director, Guido Angelozzi, and to coach Italiano. We had faith in him, but didn’t expect him to show such beautiful football, launching the careers of many young talents.”
That kind of success made Italiano the number one choice for Genoa, but Spezia are refusing to release their coach.
“Why should he leave? There’s a contract, he is staying, no doubt,” assured Volpi.
“It’s flattering when someone asks for our employee, as it means that person has done well here, but it’s also one more reason to keep him.”
There were reports Volpi was looking to sell Spezia, but he insists it is just part of the growth process.
“We had some enquiries, but it ended there. Out of respect for La Spezia and Liguria, I will not leave the club to people who aren’t better than us.”
Volpi is already pouring money into the stadium project, as the Picco is not up to Serie A code.
While restructuring work is performed, the club must name a stadium they will use for their home games in at least the early part of the 2020-21 season.
Volpi is a wealthy businessman who made his fortune in the oil logistics trade in Nigeria, which means he has some very famous friends.
“I hosted Lionel Messi on my boat, while I’m also friends with Javier Mascherano. I’ll be happy if Messi goes to Inter, as I do support them a little bit, and all of Italian football would benefit from his presence.”