exchange of title with Torre Annunziata

The new course had started with anything but encouraging premises. The feeling between the city of Portici and the Holding Casa Reale never blossomed and not even the salvation achieved on the field by the Condemi boys was able to bridge a rift that immediately seemed incurable. And so the Holding bids farewell to Portici and brings with it the sporting title it owns. With destination Torre Annunziata. The Board of Directors has already approved the transfer to the city of Oplonto, which – within the time frame set by federal regulations – will therefore find itself back in Serie D after the salvation in Excellence achieved in the last season. And Porticos? «It will not be left without football, since the ownership has guaranteed an opening for the transfer of the Savoy title, thus allowing the city of Portici to participate in a lower category that probably suits it better. The Holding will not eradicate football from Portici, it wouldn’t be right.” With these words Pino Iodice, sole director of the Italian club, explains the scenario that could realistically materialize in the near future.

No preordained plan – The Holding abandons Portici exactly one year after the start of the new course. A management immediately opposed by the city, which never showed any openness nor gave the slightest trust to the new ownership, although supported – on the occasion of the official presentation – by representatives of the former presidents Ragosta and Noia. The fear, right from the start, was that the acquisition of Portici was preordained to the transfer of the Serie D title to Torre Annunziata. «There was no pre-arranged plan – explains Pino Iodice firmly – so much so that immediately after the acquisition of the title the new ownership, represented by Nazario Matachione and me, sat down at the table with Noia and Ragosta to involve them in the organization and in planning the new season. And instead Noia has literally disappeared, while Ragosta has guaranteed his physical presence but nothing more. If the property had immediately intended to move, it certainly would not have involved the two former presidents, so attached to the city and the territory. But there’s more. Even if there had been the intention to take the title elsewhere, but we are reasoning absurdly, I can guarantee that the owners would have reconsidered their position if the city had given even a minimal sign of life. We knew we were interfacing with a square that at most could have answered “no”, we therefore did not expect a massive response, from supporters as well as from the business class, but if – however small – we had received a response, I can guarantee that that response would would be taken into account at the end of the season. The truth is that Portici has never been interested in Portici Calcio, because the people of Portici feel Neapolitan and support Naples.”

The blue sole administrator urges: «If today the property moves, this is only a consequence of the response that the city has given it. A response of zero. The municipal administration itself demanded – with good reason, I add – the advance payment of all fees for the use of San Ciro. The property leaves the city without leaving a single euro of debt. We felt like guests, sometimes even unwanted ones. In this scenario, it also seems right to me to leave with the title. I repeat, there was no pre-arranged plan, which in any case could have been overturned if only there had been a declaration of trust and support from the city. And instead the property doesn’t have to account to anyone, this is the truth.”

Why then the immediate split with the city? «Because evidently the property, identified as Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, was from the beginning the victim of a prejudice fueled by the Bourbon ranks. It was rejected regardless, the city instrumentally closed the doors to any type of speech. This is said by someone who lives in Portici and who knows the reality. Here there is no possibility of playing football at certain levels.”

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