Venezia relishing underdog status
Venezia patron Duncan Niederauer insists he’s happy if people underestimate his side and explains why American owners are flocking to Serie A. ‘It’s a big opportunity.’
The Lagunari earned their spot in the top flight after several decades of absence thanks to their victory in the promotion play-offs.
“Before the club or the team, my associates, my wife and I chose the city,” Neiderauer told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We love Venice and considering what happened to the club in recent years, we decided that Venezia deserved better. We think this is a truly special city and therefore we can achieve something special here.”
There are now several American patrons of Serie A clubs, including Dan Friedkin at Roma, Rocco Commisso of Fiorentina and Spezia’s Robert Platek.
“I think for us American owners, Serie A represents a big opportunity. We remember Serie A being the best league in the world 20 years ago, so there’s no reason why it can’t return to that status.
“We’ve got an international squad at Venezia and last season nobody saw our Serie B games, but this term our matches will be transmitted all over the world and we can expand our brand. The fact we represent Venice is already a special asset, as everyone loves this city.”
Venezia were the last club to get their promotion and Neiderauer wants to use that to their advantage.
“We want everyone to think we’ll finish last in Serie A, that way we’ll have to work much harder to prove we’re better than people think we are. Now the dream is to compete with everyone.
“We’re realistic, of course, we’ll probably lose more games than we win, but we’ll fight in every match and, if we achieve safety, then we can grow the dream one season at a time. I am optimistic. I tell the lads to be humble, but ambitious. That’s a good combination to have.”
He also considers it a bonus that Venezia will play their first few ‘home’ games in Ferrara while the Stadio Penzo has restructuring work done.
“I might be a crazy American, but I love starting like that, because I want the lads to get accustomed to difficulties straight away. We appreciate that the League gave us extra time to get the stadium ready, but it’s not a handicap. If anything, it’s a bonus that later on we’ll get more games at home and more fans can come and see us.”