President Niederauer’s statement

This morning, VFC President Duncan Niederauer spoke at the press conferenze in Ca’ Venezia:

“The last time we met here at Ca' Venezia, I told you about the potential entry of new partners by the end of January. As is often the case in these kinds of negotiations, the timeframe can get longer, but I can tell you that we are now close to the final goal. A term sheet has been signed with the group of new investors. These days, which have been very intense, we have been meeting with them and they are beginning the final stages of due diligence.

The current group of investors, which will remain almost entirely the same, will be joined by other private investors, and together with them we will retain the majority of the club while the minority will pass to a global investment fund. I am happy that this path of negotiations for the entry of new members is coming to an end, in these years we have worked a lot for the club but we are aware that there is much more to be done. We are not where we would like to be financially, but we are in the process of stabilizing the situation so that we can focus on the immediate future and beyond.

As far as the January market window is concerned, our situation is completely different from last year where we had to intervene more to build the roster. This time we arrived at the market window very satisfied with our team because in the summer we maintained the structure of the squad and added several talented and very important players. With Svoboda and Idzes returning to the group, we think that, thanks also to the excellent work done so far by Mister Vanoli and the whole group, the roster is strong and complete.


For the new stadium, I can say that our relations with the municipality are very good by virtue of the several meetings that Director Filippo Antonelli carries out with them. As far as we know, the winning bid for the stadium will be decided in two or three weeks, and we would like to meet with the builders during my next visit to Venice. We have some ideas on how to work together to build our new home that should be ready by 2027.

I want to say a few words about our men's first team. We are very satisfied with our results so far: 41 points with 16 games to go puts us in a very good position, and this weekend's game is obviously very important. Vanoli has done a great job, and you can see that the team is made up of a very close group of players. When I come here I get to watch them and I notice the great fellowship between them, they support and support each other, always. We should not forget that we have one of the youngest teams in the league, the results they are getting are not at all taken for granted and are thanks to the great daily work being done.
I firmly believe in this team, for the continuation of the season we must think from game to game and remain humble but with ambition as Vanoli always repeats. If the team is able to achieve great goals it is because they have earned it through their daily work.

As far as our youth sector is concerned, I cannot fail to highlight the excellent work done by the managers who have reorganized this sector of the club allowing several boys to enter the first team group permanently and make their debut in the professionals. Let's not forget that many of our boys have also been called up to the national team, the most recent case being Mariutto who has performed well in the Italian Under-17.

Our women's team is the strongest Venice has ever had. She is having another great season, and is undefeated so far. On Sunday I had the opportunity to watch the home match against Meran Women and I can say that it was an intense match with great pace. One of the things that excited me was seeing at the end of the game several young girls wanting a picture with our players. This is a beautiful sign and a source of great pride for me.

My priority in the next month will be to close negotiations with new investors, but another of my goals will be to be as present as possible here in Venice throughout the season. When we go to the Penzo, my wife and I really appreciate the pregame phase in which we can meet the fans and feel closer to all of them. Lately, as you may have noticed, we have been following the matches directly from the Curva Sud Groppello to be close to the beating heart of the arancioneroverdi fans and it is truly an incredible experience.“