Go back to talking Maximus Jupiter. The president of Taranto, speaking to Antenna Sud, the club’s media partner TV, addresses various issues: from the withdrawal to the market, through the disqualification of Iacovone and, therefore, the stadium issue.
The training camp should start on July 18th and end on August 2nd as the 2024/25 sports season will open on August 11th with the debut in the Serie C Italian Cup. A choice explained as follows by the number one of the Ionian club: “We came to meet the fans’ requests, we chose this location so as not to go too far from Taranto”.
The new rendering, the latest, of the Iacovone: “I don’t know anything, Taranto hasn’t been invited for the umpteenth time and therefore I don’t know the project. I have now returned from Naples for work, they tell me that the project has been presented, I take note of it but once again Taranto has not been involved. Will it be played during construction? We are in contact with Minister Abodi who, in the last visit he made to Taranto, assured and reassured us that at least for this season Taranto will play at Iacovone. This year the problem won’t be there, in the 2025/2026 season we’ll see what happens.”
Giove returns to speak on the sanctions received after the events at Menti in Vicenza: “My fans were attacked and insulted, receiving an incredible welcome upon arrival. We are not wanted, no matter what we do. Two bathrooms in the Menti stadium will cost us €20,000, it’s something absurd. What pains me the most are the two-match disqualification: if the Prosecutor’s Office inflicted this disqualification on Taranto, it should have applied the same sanction to Vicenza. The firecracker was thrown by the Vicenza sector: we get fines and closed doors, they don’t even get that.”
The president announces the press conference: “This year I will speak once a month, so I cannot be labeled as the man who does not speak to the fans and the press. On Saturday morning I will have a meeting with journalists, in which Mister Capuano and the new head of the youth sector will also be present. Finally we will start talking about real football.”
From They catch to Montalto, the first names begin to be linked to Taranto: “Caturano is an old passion both mine and Capuano’s. Montalto is very close to the coach, we are looking for a striker: the market is very long, anything can happen. I tell you that Eziolino knows Caturano and Montalto well, they are players that he has already coached in his career. At the moment there is excitement from large companies that want to redeem themselves. We’re hearing some crazy things about the Lega Pro market, but this latest championship certifies that whoever spends the most doesn’t win. Balance makes a team important in every department.” And on the reconfirmations: “Vannucchi’s contract has expired, Kanoute is one of our players but he has an exit clause that can be exercised by anyone: it was a mandatory condition for purchasing him from Avellino. Ferrara, Calvano and Mastromonaco are our players, as are Enrici, Riggio, Bifulco and De Marchi. Capuano is evaluating the permanence of Miceli, who has done well: he is an extraordinary boy, who has taken this project to heart. I hope that there is also room for Orlando, for whom I have great respect and sympathy: he is a great footballer, who can make the difference in this category. We need to improve and add something. The coach knows where and how to put his hands, but all of Taranto has faith in the qualities of coach Capuano.”
Jupiter also addresses the topic penalty, which influenced the ranking last season: “The only stain I carry with me from last season is the four-point penalty, even if I consider the sanction unfair. We had demonstrated, in the League, that the damage from the fire that occurred in the match against Foggia was of considerable magnitude. Despite an in-depth study, in which we had brought up all the situations regarding lost revenues and cancellations of sponsorships, we were penalized. Then there was no talk of a missed payment but of a late payment, it had also happened to Tacopina with Spal but at Taranto I was awarded 4 points, at Spal 3. Going back I would have sold both my eyes to try to avoid that problem which unfortunately happened, the first time in 7 years of my management. Unfortunately it happened but I would never have imagined those 4 penalty points.”
The aim, however, will be to build a sustainable squad: “The times of the old billionaires, who took their fortunes and threw them into football, no longer exist. FIFA dictates that companies must be sustainable, clubs live on revenues, sponsorships, valorisations, minutes and capital gains. The more entries there are, the more the company has the opportunity to collect. Covisoc, if someone bites off more than they can chew, blocks you and you have to capitalize: budget and stability criteria must be respected. It’s a very complex situation. Today we must think about keeping Taranto in balance. As long as I’m here, I will keep football in Taranto. I won’t bite off more than I can chew. The city’s heart team is struggling to go around and look for sponsorships, in Taranto the situation is dramatic. There are many situations that I hope can change in this city.”
