Lecce President Giovanni Semeraro has said goodbye to the fans after selling the club, ending “18 unforgettable years.”
Lecce President Giovanni Semeraro has said goodbye to the fans after selling the club, ending “18 unforgettable years.”
The Semeraro family have been in charge of the Salentini for almost two decades and sold all their shares to businessman Savino Tesoro.
“Now 18 years have passed and I am here with a lump in my throat, almost like the moment I started this adventure,” wrote Semeraro on the official club website.
There are doubts over the club’s future, as they are involved in the betting investigation and could be docked points or even demoted.
“I want to assure everyone that the newspaper stories suggesting I wanted to get rid of Lecce as quickly as possible are not true. I decided to sell the club last May.
“I only sped up the matter so that the new owners could have time to plan the new season. This prompted me to accept conditions that I normally would not have done.
“In the contract we included clauses regarding a potential drop to Lega Pro, although we don’t believe this could happen, but the new owner requested it.
“Savino Tesoro was the only one to show an interest in Lecce. Nobody else came forward on a local or national level.
“We experienced this situation throughout our time here, as no businessmen offered to lend us a hand.
“I leave a club that is economically and morally sound. My thanks go to all the players, Coaches, directors and everyone down to the kit staff.”