Football and the ‘pezzotto’ TV: it’s the black market of fandom, the jungle of those who break the rules. A phenomenon that negatively affects the quality and appeal of the Italian football league, which remains – in any case – the national sport of the Boot. ‘Rules must be respected, and a better distribution of resources could also help improve football, like the Italian one, which has become ugly, fragmented, hyper-tactical.’ This is, in summary, the position expressed on the matter by writer Maurizio de Giovanni, a super-fan of the Azzurri. The father of Commissioner Ricciardi (and many other successful characters), in his interview with Il Mattino, discusses various topics: from the ‘pezzotto’ issue to the general situation of Italian football, with issues more closely related to the field and referees. Various points for reflection, in the aftermath of Napoli-Parma, a match that marked the second consecutive home draw for Conte’s Azzurri, held to a goalless draw by the wall raised by the Gialloblu. In the football system, everything is connected. From TV viewing to the playing field. Let’s start with the news. An investigation by the Guardia di Finanza is underway into the so-called ‘pezzotto TV’. There are many fan-users who, instead of regularly paying subscriptions to follow their favorite team, opt for the ‘shorter’, and illegal, routes. What do you think? ‘The pay-TV system can be contested if we speak in general, but surely the rules must be respected: it is a priority for everyone, including fans. On the other hand, I understand that following a team now means having two or three different subscriptions with as many platforms. The pay-TV world has become an archipelago difficult to manage and frequent. And also expensive. These costs are then accompanied by the presence of numerous commercials during matches.’ So those who pay the subscription regularly, as it should be, should be exempt from advertising during the match? ‘Exactly: paying subscribers should be free from advertising. The commercials, however, are sometimes broadcast even at important moments of the viewing. Having said that, I strongly reiterate that any form of evasion from legality is condemnable and prosecutable. Even morally.’ The pay-TV cheats are also unfair to other fans, after all. ‘I believe that the use of the ‘pezzotto’ creates a completely unfair gap between those who pay and those who do not.’ Looking at the phenomenon from a different angle, do you think piracy, in its siphoning off revenue and money not only from platforms but also from the teams themselves, also takes away growth opportunities from the Italian football system? ‘I would say yes. A better distribution of resources could improve football, like the Italian league, which has become ugly, fragmented, tactical, with players who fall to the ground and waste minutes and minutes of play. Similar attitudes are not seen in La Liga or the Premier League. In short, the lack of resource siphoning that occurs due to ‘pezzotti’ will help strengthen and make the Serie A product more appealing.’ You previously mentioned the ‘time wasting’ by Italian league teams. Are you also referring to the two ‘small’ teams that snatched a draw at Maradona in the last two home games of the Azzurri? ‘Regarding Napoli’s season, it should certainly be noted that the many injuries that have occurred have weighed and are still weighing on performances. It is evident that the team’s second lines do not perform as well as the first ones. The result is visible to everyone: after a great match with Inter at San Siro a few days ago, we drew with Parma at Maradona the day before yesterday.’ How is the Italian ‘football system’ doing today? ‘If we talk about referees, for example, the system is in great confusion. I do not believe in the bad faith of the referees. However, I believe in their average value not being excellent, so to speak. The VAR has been bureaucratized, and therefore it has worsened. The same foul in two different matches is evaluated in opposite ways. There is a resistance from the refereeing class: a desire to maintain their power of evaluation, so the VAR somehow becomes an enemy of the referee. Let me also say that referees are human beings, and therefore are influenced by a national media system in which the majority of fans, even in the southern regions, support the big teams of the North.’
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