Comolli on Juve-Galatasaray, the red for Kelly and Inter

Damien Comolli flew from Turin to London this morning, but he still has last night’s match at the Stadium in his eyes, the 3-2 over Galatasaray in extra time which was not enough for Juventus to earn the Champions League round of 16 after the 5-2 in the first leg. “I still haven’t recovered from the match and I think it will take me years to do so” he confesses in the British capital on stage at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, the event organized by the financial newspaper where he took to the stage to participate in a panel on the transformation of football clubs.

DISAPPOINTMENT – That is a mission that Comolli will continue to work on despite the elimination, but first we need to go beyond the Champions League evening. “I will try not to get suspended by UEFA too, given that I am already disqualified by the Italian federation after what happened against Inter – the CEO of the Bianconeri says on stage -. The referee’s decision, however, Kelly’s expulsion, was absolutely frustrating. That match referee had only refereed 10 Champions League matches in his career: I wonder how it is possible to send him to referee a match with so much at stake. And after an incredible red we are out of the Champions League”.

FANS – Comolli, in addition to the result, has another thing on his mind: the black and white team. “Our fans were extraordinary and I want to thank them. Like the players, who were fantastic. It’s the first time I’m in a stadium that applauds their team when they score goals. The evening was what we like about football: emotion, frustration, but also the sign that the team is alive and wants to keep fighting. It’s what will keep us going for the rest of the season, even if this defeat will hurt for many years.”