Quake victims won´t be forgotten, say coaches

Serie A coaches insist the Abruzzo earthquake victims will not be forgotten when Italian top flight football controversially resumes on Saturday.

A full Serie A programme will take place with teams observing a minute’s silence and players wearing black armbands.

There had been speculation that matches would be called off, as happened with Friday’s scheduled Serie B programme, which was a day of mourning after the disaster which has so far claimed the lives of 289 people.

“I don’t know if it would have been better not to play the day after a day of mourning,” said Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho.

“I don’t like to drag out suffering but I’m convinced that even by playing no-one will forget. Life goes on for the families of the victims and also for us.

“We’re all together with the families of the victims and with their pain. The memory of this event will live on with all of us.

“It’s important that this solidarity doesn’t last two days or two weeks but continues on from then.

“We have also done something personal for Abruzzo but we did it from the heart, without publicity.”

Mourinho was referring to the fact that clubs such as Napoli, Fiorentina, Catania and Siena had pledged to donate the proceeds from their next home matches to the victims.

Lazio will hold a collection during the Rome derby and auction off shirts of some top players.

Similar gestures have not been made by the country’s title-chasing clubs.

Fiorentina’s Cesare Prandelli said he was proud of his club for the open pledge they made, although he felt the games should be called off.

“When I first heard about the drama in Abruzzo I thought it would be right to suspend everything and go over there to help the people,” said Prandelli, whose club is one of the closest in Serie A to the affected region and even has a supporters’ club in the capital, and worst affected city, L’Aquila.

“I’m very proud of our owner (Andrea Della Valle) who decided to donate the takings from (Sunday’s) match against Cagliari to the population.

“The people of Abruzzo have been hit by a tragedy but they are dealing with it with great dignity and that shows honour, the same value shown by the many people who dashed over there to help out.

“I just hope this match is played in the right spirit and that the mimnute’s silence is correctly observed in complete silence.”

Coaches were generally split on whether or not to play on Saturday, with AC Milan’s Carlo Ancelotti against a suspension.

“The football world will also help these people who are in need of support, on an individual and institutional level,” he said.

“It’s relatively important that Serie A does not stop, what counts is not forgetting those who are suffering.”

However, Lecce’s Luigi De Canio did not agree.

“I’m disappointed to have to play while others are suffering,” he said. “I would have suspended the championship.

“I think the coaches’ association and other associations should have asked for it to be called off.”

Other clubs found other ways to pay their respects.

Catania coach Walter Zenga called off the traditional pre-match press conference while Siena suspended their internet site for the day.