The entrepreneur, CEO of Italmatch Chemicals, has avoided the disappearance of the company he has supported since he was a child and plans big: the sports citadel, women’s football and “Pistoiese for Special” for disabled children. The sporting director is Taibi
It is the story of a crazy love for the colors orange, that of Sergio Iorio, an Italian entrepreneur, one of the most important in the world in the chemical branch, included by Forbes among the 50 top managers of our country. A lifelong Pistoiese fan, as a child he acted as the club’s ball boy while in May 2024 he reborn it after bankruptcy from the rubble of the previous ownership. And he started again from Serie D: “I would never have taken a club other than Pistoiese and I never will, but I couldn’t see the team of my heart disappear. When I arrived the situation was below zero, without equipment or offices, now the dream is to arrive in Serie B in four seasons and above all to bring back enthusiasm among our fans.” The sporting director is Massimo Taibi and the flagship is the “Pistoiese For Special” for young people with disabilities.
the story
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Sergio Iorio is the founder and CEO of Italmatch Chemicals, a giant in the chemical sector with 20 plants around the world and a turnover of around 1 billion in the last year, a company owned by Bain Capital and the Pif fund. It is clear that work reasons take him away from Pistoia, but not with his heart: “I care a lot about the fact that there are no links, even for ethical reasons, between my corporate life and the Pistoiese project, which is 100% mine and the company which is not even a sponsor. But I grew up here and it was my father who approached the club, Superintendent of studies, and a great football lover. With him I shared wonderful years and also for this reason this has always been strong passion, in some respects even irrational. I didn’t miss a match, home or away, and for me orange is the only color that exists. As a child I played in the youth team and was a ball boy, with the thrill of shaking hands with the players who were idols for me. I also met Luis Silvio, a blessing and a blessing in the club’s history, and we managed to track him down recently and bring him to town for a few days.” At last year’s Champions League final, Sergio Iorio went to the stands wearing the former Brazilian footballer’s shirt, but he also wore a Pistoiese shirt to see Sinner at the ATP, without forgetting that he arrived at the wedding of one of his children on board an orange Vespa. In the family they are all fans, even if from a distance: the sons Andrea and Matteo, and also the four-year-old grandson, Giacomo. Meanwhile, women’s football, the Futsal championship and naturally the youth sector where former footballers such as Stefano Carobbi, Angelo Pagotto and Corrado Colombo work have been re-established in Pistoia. In the first team management there is Andrea Mangoni and a central role is played by the managing director, Fabio Fondatori.
infrastructure and for special
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The infrastructure is very important for growth, with the aim, among other things, of creating an “Orange City” at the Pistoia Ovest pitch: “It is owned by the Municipality and we have brought it back to good condition, through important works, but much more could be done for the Pistoiese area and beyond. Three months ago we expressed an interest in purchasing the area, but we still have not had a formal response from the Municipality and I don’t understand this slowness because I have a project with football pitches, tennis courts, a hall conferences and commercial activities. It would be good for the city, open to citizens and fans, 50% participated by the Pistoiese and the other half by local entrepreneurs already interested”. In front of the stadium there is also a merchandising shop, but the real pride is the creation of “Pistoiese For Special”, a non-profit association dedicated to children and young people with disabilities. The project was born from the positive experience of the 2024-25 season with the “Insuperabili” association and the success of this synergy, (which continues) led to the creation of the new reality where the children are followed by qualified instructors and specialized staff, combining play, growth and inclusion: “It is regularly registered with the FIGC Dpcs (Paralympic and Experimental Football Division) and it is an initiative that warms our hearts, which goes beyond the sporting result”.
taibi ds
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The sporting director is Massimo Taibi: “I was in negotiations with a Serie B club but in May 2024, I received the offer from Pistoiese and, in the two meetings with the president, I liked the project. The first question I asked myself was what an entrepreneur of that level was doing in Serie D, then I realized that he was a fan and that there is a particular family story behind it, which I liked very much. And then he is ambitious and meticulous, attentive When I arrived we didn’t even have the offices and we were in the hotel, but we still managed to get to the play-off semi-finals. This year we have everything to go up to the professional ranks and that would be the fundamental thing because then we can have a championship at the top and there are also the solid foundations to get to the Serie B over the years Sartori who is a true champion not only in building the team but in managing it. Keeping a group of players is the most important thing, transforming it into a team, it is the secret to winning. For me this is a principle to always keep in mind and this year we have a team of men.”
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