Brugnaro mayor fan: “Venice is a great reality”
The mayor talks about the freshman team from the lagoon city in Serie A: “What an intuition to take cards from young talents, without being spare wheels for the big names. The project is solid”
Luigi Brugnaro is on his second term as mayor of Venice. He is the owner of Reyer’s basketball. Among other things, he was president of Confindustria Veneto. Everything can be said unless it is rooted in the region.
Brugnaro, the rebirth of sport in Venice began with her: her Reyer won 2 championships, a Fiba Europe Cup and an Italian Cup. Winning moves?
“Only the passion for sport and for young people. At the time of Cavour, competition was privileged in the north west, while in the north east – I am thinking of Triestina – there was a pedagogical idea of sport. I am faithful to the line. Sport it keeps the young people away from the couch. Then on the pitch you fight to win, but the important thing is to learn how to get up when you lose. Professional sport is used to create an important youth movement, whether it’s basketball or football “.
Venezia is part of this philosophy. And great football is back. What effect does it have on her?
“Considering that I am the mayor, a great effect. I tried to help this property in the best possible way. Because there are smart people, Niederauer in the first place, there is a structure of the highest level and I am not just talking about the technician Zanetti to which compliments must be made. Venezia is in line with what we are doing in sport. I am proud that it has become a case to report “.
Cosmopolitan Venice, like the city. A good or a male?
“The president had a good intuition: to take talent cards, without being the spare wheels of the big clubs. Following the example of Recoba in the days of Zamparini. Having imported players from all over the world is very interesting and they are doing a great project on the youth teams. The scheme is right, there is a lot of humility in their work. A courageous team, we hope they are also lucky “.
“As a teenager until the evening, in the courtyards and on the pitches. For me it is one of the most beautiful sports, with basketball and tennis. And I also like sports with people with disabilities who struggle in the face of difficulties. I am impressed from their character. I grew up with the ball, when I can I go to the stadium. I am a Milan fan, as a child I played with the Rossoneri shirt. I will not miss the return match, but I will cheer on Venice … “.
The Municipality has just approved the concession of the Taliercio area to Venice for 40 years, where the sports center is being built. A sign that the city believes in the Niederauer project?
“Out of the question. Reyer plays in front. We have given the concession to build 5 fields plus other small ones, it will be a citadel to grow talents, not only foreigners in the medium-long term. The collaboration between public and private is important”.
What is your relationship with the American president?
“I would say excellent: Niederauer arrived there were many troubles in society and he intervened. I convinced him to stay and believe in Venice. It seems to me that he is happy. He is good, the success of Venezia is thanks to him. He really chose the right collaborators. He also has an excellent relationship with the city. He is humble and concrete. And it makes me happy that Sant’Elena could be concrete, a unique stadium in the world, which relives a district in the center, the water gate of city entrance “.
With the creation of the Cittadella dello Sport, does Venice want to go back to being a permanent center of gravity?
“We are a cosmopolitan city. And sport is a window on the world. The Citadel has always been a dream in the drawer: there are many resistances but as a Municipality we have decided, given that there is a project to connect the airport with a link railway, we have also planned the stop for the citadel. In that area we would like to build the football stadium, the Olympic swimming pool, the sports hall. The importance of sport has always been underestimated here: sport is culture and investment for Young people”.
But in this way we would have the new stadium on the mainland and the Sant’Elena would be abandoned. Isn’t that a contradiction?
“The project is still very far from definition. It is right to build an international system, then we will see where Venezia will be. And in any case, Venezia Calcio will decide.”
Who do you like in the football league as a figure?
“I will not mention names. I am struck by the team spirit of sport. The idea of simplifying with a name that solves situations is wrong. I always prefer to speak as a group, I like Milan in this sense. I’m lucky that I don’t have to suffer like in the last few years.
December 3 – 8.45am
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED