The announcement: “Another year, then I’ll leave the scene”
SASSARI. The much feared elephant was eventually stripped and eaten. But now, after 10 years of “safari” on the fields all over Italy and half of Europe, the idea of leaving for the umpteenth adventure is not exactly at the top of his priorities.
Stefano Sardara in twelve months will no longer be the president of Dinamo. This was announced by the biancoblù manager himself, who yesterday in the Club House actually started the countdown of its management. The Sassari company is for sale and there is a year to find a buyer interested in taking the baton.
The announcement. «My last year as president is starting – Sardara said yesterday in front of reporters -, the time has come to pass the hand, the next registration will be made by someone else. It’s been an exciting ten years, of which I’m happy, but it’s time for someone fresher to take matters into their own hands and handle it. I work 18 hours a day, I have a job as the CEO of a company that absorbs a lot of my time, and then I also have a family. I will not stay in the world of basketball: I would like to have more than 5 minutes to have breakfast, I would like to see my wife for lunch and some friends for dinner. My mother has always said that I am a “culu di mal’assentu” (a person who never stands still, ed), but now I really have to slow down ».
The last dance. It cannot be said that it is a bolt from the blue. Last year Sardara had already publicly told that he had thought of leaving the company between 2019 and 2020, but that he had decided to remain at the helm to ferry the biancoblù vessel out of the troubled waters caused by the pandemic. “Humanly I would have left three years ago – he explained -. An important part of the fans always showed me the good side of Dinamo and was the main motivation for me to stay. Two years ago even that wasn’t enough anymore and I had almost decided to take the step. Then Covid arrived, I was ready to say goodbye but leaving Dinamo like this would have been a disaster. I’m still here but we need to give this company a new breath. It will not be a last year in which we will pull the oars in the boat – underlined the president -. It’s been a year that we want to do well, and do it well. It must be an important season, in which we want to relaunch. This year with 40% less turnover, we have only reduced the budget by 20%. Doing well is part of the culture of this company ».
The prospects. In a precise question about possible buyers, Sardara explained that “no one has come forward to date, but he can do it as soon as possible. We will do everything to facilitate the takeover of anyone who believes in the project. For example, we are renewing the most important contracts of sponsors. The company will have to stay in Sassari, it would be suicide for anyone to take it to move it, please do not open such scenarios. I’ve always said being at the helm of Dinamo is like running a relay. I believe I have had my time. The president of Dinamo for me will always be Dino Milia, a man who deserves a statue in Piazza d’Italia for having dedicated 30 years of his life to Dinamo. Then there are all of us who are and will be passing through, each with his own ideas and projects ». As for Turin, Sardara will in any case guarantee another year of life for the yellow-blue club. “But in the event of immediate promotion – he clarified, if no buyers arrive, the way of renouncing the top flight would be the most probable”.
Looking for new faces. Is the territory of northern Sardinia able to express one or more passionate and capable entrepreneurs, able to take over? “Why not? If we go back 10 years – says the manager from Sassari – the question was the same, then I arrived and we made some important steps compared to the previous management. And the previous management in turn had made progress compared to those who were there before. If you are not driven by passion it is difficult, but the territory has more than one potential from this point of view ». In short, there is no need to bandage your head before breaking it. Also because – barring further unforeseen events – Sassari will soon have a more spacious building. «The covid like all great crises causes great damage but also great opportunities – clarified Sardara -. The stop made it possible to add a part of the work that was not initially financed. A building with 2 thousand more seats changes the economies of scale. It is an important plus for those who want to take over ».
The fears. The biancoblù square is waiting for the moment: the time and perspectives to find a worthy alternative are there, but it is clear that the mere thought of reliving the dramatic months of ten years ago is able to make many loyalists lose sleep. Sassari and the many fans scattered throughout Sardinia. Sardara’s last dance is fine, as long as it’s not also the last Dinamo dance.
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