One thing that Italian football has become synonymous with over the years is bankruptcy.
From Chievo Verona in 2021 to football hipsters’ favourite clubs, Venezia, Parma and Napoli, all have fallen foul of financial mismanagement in the past 20 years.
Further down the leagues, another bankrupt club has found new ownership with an Australian group that has ties with the A-League.
In the beautiful region of Sicily, Calcio Catania have fallen all the way down to Serie C after being in the Italian top flight in 2006-14.
They were coached by a very young Diego Simeone and had well-known players like Papu Gomez on their books.
In 2021-22 Catania were expelled from the Serie C season due to bankruptcy and have been on the market to be sold ever since, with several groups showing interest but never able to get a deal over the line.
Earlier this week it was announced the club had finally been bought by the Melbourne-based Pelligra group.
It has long been rumoured that Ross Pelligra is trying to establish a South Australian sporting group under the one banner.
The Adelaide Giants baseball team and Adelaide Lightning in the WNBL are already under the group’s control, while the grounds and training centres of Netball South Australia and the Adelaide 36ers NBL side will also be redeveloped by the group in works that could see the netball and men’s basketball teams fall under Pelligra ownership.
Calcio Catania is not the group’s first dealing with Australian football sides though.
They were financial backers of South Melbourne FC and are the owners-in-waiting for the A-League’s Adelaide United.
While the deal for United will be formally announced upon completion of the current financial year, the takeover of Calcio Catania opens up some intriguing propositions not just for Adelaide United but for football in Australia.
Calcio Catania and Adelaide United could develop a mutually beneficial sister club partnership involving talent exchanged between the sides. This could see young Australian players given a chance to enter the lucrative European market.
That might seem like a pipeline dream right now, while Catania try and work their way up from Serie D in their pursuit of getting back to being a Serie A club.
Ross Pelligra has been installed as chairman of Calcio Catania and has spent the past week in Sicily, where he has met with members of the Catania ultras as well as high-ranking city officials to outline what exactly the Pelligra group will bring to the club and region.
Pelligra’s Sicilian roots and the company’s exciting plans for the club’s near future seem to have reinvigorated locals after the turmoil that has engulfed the troubled side in recent times.
The purchases of Adelaide United and Calcio Catania, have shown that the Pelligra group can make just as big a splash in the football world as well as the property world.
While both look like big gambles given the underperformance of each club respectively, it would come as no surprise to see both become very successful.
M20
Guest
Always wanted to see some Australian investment in a lower league overseas club as a pathway for players
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
monza would be the blueprint to follow, in terms of how they ascended to serie a it helps having football people who have been in the game for a long time, in the right positions - both berlosconi brothers with galliani also in tow its definitely achievable if things fall into place financially and there is no funny business from a certain "organisation" in the region lol looks like scilian football is on the up now, after trending downwards for some time - palermo in serie b, messina in serie c, catania in serie d
Franko
Guest
But these aren't the only cashed up owners in the lower leagues fighting to get to SerieA&B - Berlosconi owns Monza - Campobasso & Cesena are owned by US Private equity investors - Venezia, Como are likewise foreign owned by cashed up investors. It won't be a walk in the park.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
it all depends on how much money pelligra group want to dump into the team. if they run it, how they are doing with adelaide - it will be very prudent, but money will be made available for the right players. things might get a little more complicated with the ndrangheta though - especially now that catania will try to be established again as a strong club 5 years could be deemed as ambitious, but you would have to expect back to back promotions to get to serie b - given the financial might behind the club now
Franko
Guest
Yes, Polentone confirmed. :silly:
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Have you ever visited Palermo or Catania? Let's just say well watered grassy parklands are not high on the agenda. If you're a dirt poor football club from a small town in Sicily, you're unlikley to have a hi tech watering system giving you a billiard top (more than likely the local council is controlled by a mafioso who is redirecting all water to their private land holdings). I was just looking at the home ground of Gela, a provincial capital no less, but who currently are not in Serie D, and the ground looks like a clay tennis court. But yes, Calcio Catania would be a bit better off and better resourced than all of their Serie D counterparts (at least in their conference).
Franko
Guest
Promotion back to SerieC this year should be a given (though we've seen what can happen with the likes of Sunderland) SerieA in 5 years is pretty ambitious..... To have a sister club in B-C is actually ideal for AU.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
i dont think theyre going to have too much trouble getting out of d and c now with the current owners its definitely a realistic goal to be in serie b within 3 years and serie a within 5
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Serie D I haven't seen a dirt pitch on the highlights I have looked at though dont have a clue where the teams are. Semi Amateur like the NPL here. Is this the northerners contempt for the south that Sicily would have dirt pitches and be amateur.
Franko
Guest
I tend to agree, which is why I think our NYL boys can go there and have a big impact.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
It's interesting news, but I wouldn't hold my breath about it representing something which can benefit Australian football. In Serie D, in what will essentially be the Sicilian conference if you will, they're basically all amateurs and they will rarely play on anything resembling a grass pitch. Your average Vic and NSW NPL side would be better resourced. For Catania, it's a long, long, hard road just getting back to Serie B, never mind Serie A which for the Catanisi, would seem like the impossible dream.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Serie D is 9 regional leagues. Serie C is now 3 regional league from 2 levels C1 and C2 with north and south regional leagues. There is a big difference between the 2. Players from C1 in the old days have performed well in the A-league. Though standards have slipped in Italy Margiotta was in Serie B just before he came though he didnt score many neither did he at Victory. There is no way they would have had Margiotta in Serie B in the past.
Nick Symonds
Guest
Interesting. Seems like a good pathway could develop.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
underachieved in the sense of young talent coming through, that should be playing in europe already (and the ones who are, should be in much better leagues and clubs) as for the big announcement on friday, its the signing of.................. NANI !!!!!! (im joking, victory will announce him in the next week haha) friday is the start of the new financial year, which means pelligra group can now officially be announced as owners
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
sydney have not entered negotiatioans with either player yet, they are exploring the possibilities associated with transfers though (standard procedure)- considering they were both on $15k+ pounds a week, it could be prohibitive even for a club of sydneys stature rogic has multiple overseas offers while hes dealing with his family issue at the moment still, i would be shocked if he comes back to the a league arzani is the most likely of the 2 to come home - brisbane were sniffing around, but backed off after his salary demands adelaide doesnt hold an interest in either player, nor have they been offered them
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
So are you telling us that SFC are about to sign both players, or it is just a thought bubble by them?
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
An interesting article Andy, You seemed to be in the know. In the article, you stated that [In your opinion] Adelaide has underachieved, yet often you tell us that you feel we are doing wonders on the little money and small budget available. Like you on other occasions I feel finishing top 4 is no mean feat. It will only get tougher for us to keep doing that. It seems Friday there may be a big announcement, have you heard anything along those lines yet?
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
yup. arzani does have a league interest (noteably from sydney, who have also shown interest in rogic)
Franko
Guest
Grella is an agent, isn't he? Think he looks after Azarni who could be of interest.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
has the potential to be a pathway for not just adelaide players, but interstate ones as well. (obviously a 'sister' club relationship between united and catania makes sense given the ownership.) i dont think catania will exactly go wild with an open chequebook either, people assumed that was going to happen at adelaide - but i did tell everyone that this wont be the case lol