Question by Dessi (formerly M5S) for the conflict of interest Coach under attack after the “no” to Mancini and Palumbo
/ Mogliano
The summoning of Erica Cipressa to the Tokyo Olympics even ends up on the benches of Parliament, and her father Andrea, technical commissioner of the blue foil, in the storm on social media. After days in which the flames have dozed under the brushwood, the fire is breaking out on Monday evening. Punctual, after 8.45 pm, the time when Federscherma has finally made official all the names of those who will go to Tokyo. Names that the federal council had already considered on May 28, based on the indications of the technical commissioners of saber, sword and foil. But it is in the latter weapon that the fuse slowly did its job waiting for the right moment to trigger.
VOICES
To be honest, for at least two years, rumors have been circulating in Italian fencing circles about “you will see that in the end Erica will be called up for Tokyo”, or “the father-daughter conflict of interest is evident at every competition, even in the Italian Cup. World“. Well, Monday evening, after developments that had already taken place in recent days at the last blue meeting, when the coach had had to talk to the “big excluded” Camilla Mancini and Francesca Palumbo, who for months has matured the suspicion, saw the same concretized on paper and ink.
STORM
Already after that retirement, however, the companies belonging to Mancini and Palumbo began to move, as well as their military sports groups: respectively Fiamme Gialle and Aeronautica. There were already rumors of a move in the political field, with a question promptly presented yesterday by Senator Emanuele Dessi, former 5-star, now in the mixed group. As if in Italy there were not already enough problems to be solved, much more complex, politics has put a hand in it, without letting the “dirty clothes” wash them off for the sport on its own. And, as expected, everything happened on social media on Monday evening, with enigmatic, stirring or even lined up posts.
IN THE SIGHT
Chronicles in hand, that Cipressa is not well seen by many, is equally well known, despite the palmares of recent years saying the opposite. Just think of the half mutiny a few years ago, attempted in St. Petersburg in the World Cup by some foil players. Or the frontal attacks of Elisa Di Francisca in her recently released book. Certainly, the summoning of the daughter, for many is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
DOUBTS
Nobody here defends Andrea Cipressa or whoever is attacking him. However, there remains one element to come up with: not having to deal with the ranking for the choices, how come no one has contested the coach for the summoning of Martina Batini, also behind Palumbo, focusing only on her daughter Erica? Conflict of interest, it has been said. Father and daughter are from the Fiamme Oro, they are related by kinship, and Valentina Vezzali, undersecretary for sports and policewoman too, was also involved in the dance. Posterity will judge. In fact, if it is gold in Tokyo, everyone will forget it. –