Atalanta-Lecce will kick off in a few minutes: meanwhile, controversy mounts over the League’s decision to have the match played. The harsh communiqué of the Salentini
Lecce furibondo per Graziano Fiorita: l’ultimo messaggio ci fa piangere di nuovo – SerieAnews
What is the value of a jersey without colors? It is not just a symbolic issue. It is a statement. A gesture that silently screams, even more than a thousand words. This is what Lecce has chosen to do, after a week that has left deep wounds.
It all began on Friday, when the match against Atalanta was postponed due to the death of physiotherapist Graziano Fiorita, who passed away suddenly while in training camp with the team. It was a bolt out of the blue, disrupting spirits and the organization. The Lega Serie A, however, decided to reschedule the match as early as today, Sunday, April 27, finding inevitable opposition from the Salento club.
Una richiesta respinta: il Lecce avrebbe voluto rinviare ancora
It was not just about time. It was about respect. The Giallorossi club had asked to postpone the match in the following days, at least leaving room for a collective comeback and a dignified farewell. But the Football League said no. A blunt no, with no margin, that prompted Lecce to consider even the extreme option of not taking the field.
Una richiesta respinta: il Lecce avrebbe voluto rinviare ancora (Ansa Foto) – SerieAnews
However, a choice that would have cost dearly: forfeiture and a penalty point in the standings. So, after hours of reflection, the decision was made to play. But not in silence. Not just like that.
“Giocheremo senza colori”: il durissimo comunicato del club
The response came on social media, in a very harsh statement published by Lecce a few hours before the kickoff whistle. A dense, emotional text that leaves no room for interpretation: “We will play the game of trampled values. And we will do it wearing a white jersey, without crests, without logos, without colors.
No trace of the identity that usually accompanies the team. A strong, almost breaking gesture. “We will return to wear our jersey when Graziano returns home and is honored, as he deserves, by his people.”
The communiqué again contains a scathing indictment of the League, guilty–according to the club–of creating a “hierarchy of death” based on the weight of the clubs or the role held by those who are missing. Graziano Fiorita was “one of those who work away from the spotlight but hold the group together.” For 26 years he was part of the “silent heart” of Lecce.
A post shared by U.S. Lecce (@uslecce)
And he died far from his family, his wife and four children, who are still waiting for the body’s return. “This match should not have been played today,” wrote the club, which thanked Sports Minister Abodi for his attempt — unfortunately in vain — to find an alternative solution.
“Gross injustice is not answered by breaking the rules,” the finale reads. There will be no provocations, no striking gestures. Only the white shirt, and a heavy silence. Like a mourning still open. Like a wound that is struggling to close. Lecce will play, but without forgetting.
This article Lecce furious for Graziano Fiorita: latest message makes us cry again appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
