Lecce sporting director defends the club’s sustainable model and fires back at social media abuse: “Real supporters are something else.”
Pantaleo Corvino rarely hides behind diplomacy, and this time he chose blunt honesty. Speaking at the end of the January transfer window, the Lecce sporting director delivered a passionate defense of the club’s work — and a sharp rebuke to a section of the fanbase he says has crossed the line from criticism into personal abuse.
“With a gross wage bill of around €20 million — one of the lowest in Serie A — Lecce are still competing at this level,” Corvino explained. “That should mean something.” Instead, he revealed, it has not stopped him from being insulted in public, even in front of his wife. “There are people who come up to me and say things like ‘spend the money’ or worse. That’s not support.”
Corvino made a clear distinction between constructive criticism and what he described as toxic behavior fueled by social media. “For me, real supporters are not the ones who insult you in the street or hide behind a keyboard. Real supporters are those who follow Lecce everywhere, who go to Turin, to Milan, who see this team fight and stay competitive despite enormous financial limits.”
A Sustainable Fight in Serie A
The Lecce executive used the moment to underline the club’s philosophy. Survival in Serie A, achieved with one of the smallest budgets in the league, is not accidental but the result of careful planning and restraint. “I am not the owner of Lecce,” Corvino stressed. “My job is to do the best possible work for Lecce, within the resources we have.”
That reality, he suggested, is often ignored online. Asked about fan dissatisfaction on social platforms and claims that the team had been weakened rather than strengthened in the winter window, Corvino did not mince words. “I’d tell you not to follow social media so much,” he replied. “Criticism is fine when it’s constructive. But journalism shouldn’t just amplify what people say on social networks.”
‘Real Support Is Something Else’
Corvino’s frustration was evident as he described the contrast between online outrage and the loyalty shown by traveling fans. “Those are the supporters who matter,” he said. “The ones who watch Lecce draw with Juventus or lose 1–0 at Milan and still stand by the team.”
His closing message was simple but firm: Lecce will continue to operate within its means, prioritizing sustainability over reckless spending. Abuse, whether online or in person, will not change that approach.
In an era where social media noise often overwhelms context, Corvino’s outburst served as a reminder of the fine line between passion and disrespect — and of the realities faced by smaller clubs fighting to survive in Italy’s top flight.
