Editoriale
Storie di Len, di aiuti di stato, di Lega
Pubblicato il 06 Giu 2123 10:33
Stories of LEN, of Government financial aids, of independent league
The recent changes that the LEN with Balkan traction engine has announced for the future Champions League, take us back of some years, with the only result of throwing away all the efforts made to give a better and more impactful visibility not only to the event , but to the entire water polo movement.
The recent changes that the LEN with Balkan traction engine has announced for the future Champions League, take us back of some years, with the only result of throwing away all the efforts made to give a better and more impactful visibility not only to the event , but to the entire water polo movement.
A sad circumstance in which the incapacity that the Balkan clubs have in seeking and finding sponsors is clearly highlighted, relying only on state aid, which in fact puts any entrepreneurial initiative to sleep.
Already because unlike companies that today are an example of efficiency at 90°, (Barceloneta and Olympiacos on top of the list, then Marseille, Hannover, Spandau, Pro Recco, Brescia, Vouliagmeni and so on), both in Serbia and in Croatia the various public bodies support the activities of the clubs.
More "fine" in Hungary: the state subsidizes the federation, which then supports the clubs. But just to get by: the proof from the recent Europeans in Budapest, where it was quite evident the empty stands, except when the Magyar National Team played its games. The result of the unholy choice to "sell” a ticket for the whole day, thus messing up the sale process for the other games, naturally deserted by the public.
The only result: only fake commitments, crumbling organizations, because there is so much "money".
A striking example comes from Radickni: the city municipality allocates a financial support of 500 thousand euros for the club's activities.
Another evidence comes from the recent Final 8 of Belgrade: where was the audience like "Vlaho Orlic"? How much was done to publicize the event? Unfortunately, the answer is simple: there is so much money.
Today Barceloneta hired also professionals and marketing experts, and the movement in the Catalan city is growing. We are certainly a thousand miles away from the football and basketball planets, but the will of the Iberian managers goes in the right direction.
In this context comes the absurd decision of LEN who will reduce the Final Eight to Final Four from the next season. A mistake from a marketing and propaganda standpoint.
More "fine" in Hungary: the state subsidizes the federation, which then supports the clubs. But just to get by: the proof from the recent Europeans in Budapest, where it was quite evident the empty stands, except when the Magyar National Team played its games. The result of the unholy choice to "sell” a ticket for the whole day, thus messing up the sale process for the other games, naturally deserted by the public.
The only result: only fake commitments, crumbling organizations, because there is so much "money".
A striking example comes from Radickni: the city municipality allocates a financial support of 500 thousand euros for the club's activities.
Another evidence comes from the recent Final 8 of Belgrade: where was the audience like "Vlaho Orlic"? How much was done to publicize the event? Unfortunately, the answer is simple: there is so much money.
Today Barceloneta hired also professionals and marketing experts, and the movement in the Catalan city is growing. We are certainly a thousand miles away from the football and basketball planets, but the will of the Iberian managers goes in the right direction.
In this context comes the absurd decision of LEN who will reduce the Final Eight to Final Four from the next season. A mistake from a marketing and propaganda standpoint.
It would be obvious that with eight teams in the pool, coming from at least six different nations, there will be at least six televisions that will broadcast the matches. Eurovision has today covered the event distributing the signal and it would continue to do so. But according to this new system, next year if two Serbian and two Greek teams will participate in the Final Four, what could happen? That three quarters of Europe would be excluded from following the big final. For the death of an event that would only be good for the entire movement. Just think of what happened a few years ago, when the four finalists in Dubrovnik were Posillipo, Pro Recco, Savona and Jug. Here the ghost of a niche sport reappears.
At this point, the only way out could be the creation of a League, where LEN might have access on a par with the clubs: decisions would be taken collectively, not imposed by a management that clearly borders on heavy conflicts of interest. The LEN press release (congratulations also for the choice of communications manager, Nick Davies, with a dark past) is a diabolical sentence that will definitively destroy the efforts made in recent years to try to emerge in the media from that niche where incapable managements, conflicts of interests, unbridled culture of their own backyards, is condemning water polo.
At this point, the only way out could be the creation of a League, where LEN might have access on a par with the clubs: decisions would be taken collectively, not imposed by a management that clearly borders on heavy conflicts of interest. The LEN press release (congratulations also for the choice of communications manager, Nick Davies, with a dark past) is a diabolical sentence that will definitively destroy the efforts made in recent years to try to emerge in the media from that niche where incapable managements, conflicts of interests, unbridled culture of their own backyards, is condemning water polo.
Francesco Grillone
Le recenti modifiche che la LEN, a trazione balcanica, ha annunciato per le future Champions League, ci riportano indietro di anni, con il solo unico risultato di buttare in vasca tutti gli sforzi fatti per dare una migliore e più incisa visibilità non solo alla manifestazione, ma soprattutto alla stessa pallanuoto.
Una triste circostanza in cui si evidenzia senza ombra di dubbio l’incapacità che i club balcanici hanno nel cercare e trovare sponsor, affidandosi solamente agli aiuti di stato, che di fatto addormentano ogni iniziativa imprenditoriale. Già perché a differenza di società che oggi sono un esempio di efficienza a 90°, (Barceloneta e Olympiacos su tutte, quindi Marsiglia, Nizza, Hannover, Spandau, Pro Recco, Brescia, Vouliagmeni e così via), sia in Serbia che in Croazia sono i vari enti pubblici a sostenere l’attività dei club.
Più “fini” in Ungheria: lo stato sovvenziona la federazione, che a sua volta sostiene i club. Ma solo per vivacchiare: la prova dai recenti europei di Budapest, dove il deserto sulle gradinate è stato evidente, tranne quando in vasca scendeva la nazionale magiara. Frutto della scelta scellerata di “vendere” i biglietti per l’intera giornata, mandando così in tilt la vendita degli stessi per le altre gare, naturalmente disertate dal pubblico.
Unico risultato: impegni solo di facciata, organizzazioni fatiscenti, perché tanto i “soldi ci sono”.
Un esempio lampante viene dal Radnicki: il comune della città stanzia ben 500mila euro per l’attività del club.
La prova viene dall’interesse che tali scelte proiettano sulle manifestazioni: nell’appena conclusa Final Eight di Belgrado: dov’era il pubblico alla “Vlaho Orlic”? Quanto è stato fatto per pubblicizzare l’evento? La risposta è purtroppo semplice: tanto i soldi ci sono.
Oggi il Barceloneta ha alle sue dipendenze anche un esperto di marketing, ed il movimento nella città catalana è in crescita. Certamente siamo lontani mille miglia dai pianeti calcio e basket, ma la volontà dei dirigenti iberici va nella giusta direzione.
In questo contesto arriva l’assurda decisione della Len che ridurrà dalla prossima stagione la Final Eight a Final Four. Un errore, dal punto di vista marketing e propaganda.
Perchè con otto squadre in vasca, provenienti da almeno sei nazioni diverse, si avranno almeno sei televisioni che riprenderanno le gare.
L’Eurovision ha fino ad oggi coperto l’evento e l’avrebbe continuato a fare. Ma il prossimo anno, se alla Final Four partecipassero due squadre serbe e due greche, cosa potrebbe succedere? Che tre quarti d’Europa resterebbe esclusa sia dal seguire la finalissima, sia dalle immagini. Per la morte di un evento che solo bene farebbe all’intero movimento. Basti pensare a quanto accaduto alcuni anni orsono, quando a Dubrovnik le quattro finaliste furono Posillipo, Pro Recco, Savona e Jug. Ecco che riappare il fantasma di uno sport di nicchia.
A questo punto l’unica via d’uscita potrebbe essere la creazione di una Lega, dove la LEN accederebbe al pari dei club: le decisioni sarebbero prese coralmente, non imposte da una dirigenza che rasenta palesemente pesanti conflitti d’interessi. Il comunicato della LEN (complimenti anche per la scelta del responsabile della comunicazioni, Nick Davies, dagli oscuri trascorsi) è una sentenza diabolica che affosserà definitivamente gli sforzi fatti negli ultimi anni per cercare di emergere mediaticamente da quella nicchia in cui dirigenze incapaci, conflitti d’interessi, cultura sfrenata dei propri orticelli, stanno condannando la pallanuoto.
