Vince Grella and Ross Pelligra, together with Socceroos legend Mark Bresciano, are spearheading a revival of Calcio Catania. Grella is the new CEO and vice president of Catania, a fallen giant of Italian football.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/he-ll-be-a-god-two-ex-socceroos-and-the-sicilian-offer-they-couldn-t-refuse-20230128-p5cg4q.html

paywall - can someone give us the rundown on what going on? I know Grella is president of club or something?

Grella is CEO and a Vice President.Ross Pelligra is the owner-he is an Aussie of Sicilian heritage and is a property developer.

Catania were a Serie A club but due to financial  mismanagement and match fixing were rubbed out.Pelligra and Grello and with Bresc as an adviser have started a new Catania club in Serie D and look likely to move up a division .The aim is to get back to Serie A.

Unpaywalled it for you sir...

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theage.com.au%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fhe-ll-be-a-god-two-ex-socceroos-and-the-sicilian-offer-they-couldn-t-refuse-20230128-p5cg4q.html

How do you do that?

https://12ft.io/

I wonder if Italy will see this as another cunning plan by Australia to try to funnel young Italian players to Australia?

Don't give the insecure racist fuckwits on this forum another reason to cry.

Text of the article

Some fans wave protest banners. Others gather signatures on digital petitions.

And a special few, when they’re upset with the way their football club is being run, prefer to break into their team’s home ground in the dead of night and leave behind a severed pig’s head, decorated with a wig and a pair of glasses to imitate the chief executive they wanted sacked immediately – along with an unsettling, threatening message, foreshadowing a physical attack by masked ultras.

Vince Grella and Ross Pelligra, together with Socceroos legend Mark Bresciano, are spearheading a revival of Calcio Catania.

That wonderful, pressure-free job now belongs to Vince Grella.

The Socceroos great is the new CEO and vice president of Catania, a fallen giant of Italian football with a long-suffering, clearly hard-to-please fanbase – and so optimistic is Grella about what lies ahead, and his chances of avoiding a fate similar to his predecessor, that he threw away his old life for it.

Upon retiring from football in 2013, Grella stepped into the world of player management, and was emerging as one of the most influential agents in the game. But when Australian businessman Ross Pelligra took control of Calcio Catania, the former Serie A club which had gone bankrupt and were being re-founded as a ‘phoenix club’ in Italy’s fourth division, Grella decided to go all in and hand back his agent’s licence.

“Massive call,” said Grella, now 43, who is best known for his stints with Empoli, Parma, Torino and Blackburn Rovers – and for bringing his own giant wedge of Parmesan cheese and stash of prosciutto into Socceroos camp every time he was called up.

“But I have no intentions of going back to do it, because this is an unbelievable opportunity. And I would only do it with someone of the seriousness of the Pelligra Group – because here, they can chew you up and spit you out in five minutes, mate, if you don’t have serious people behind you.”

He should know. Grella copped the wrath of the Catania’s ultras as an opposition player, back in the glory days of Sicilian football when they, arch-rivals Palermo and Messina were top-half Serie A teams around a decade ago, all challenging for European berths.

No team from the island has ever won a major trophy, with the Italian game dominated by clubs from the more affluent northern half of the country, and Sicily has produced few players of international significance, aside from 1982 World Cup winner Claudio Gentile and 1990 golden boot Toto Schillaci. But there is still an almost volcanic fervour for football there, and especially in Catania, which makes perfect sense: the ancient port city sits in the shadows of Mount Etna, whose eruptions can be seen from the crumbling Stadio Angelo Massimino, their home ground.

So far, so good for the three Aussies who have taken on the gargantuan task of rebuilding this club back to full health, essentially from scratch. The other is Socceroos legend Mark Bresciano, a former Palermo player who introduced his old teammate Grella to Pelligra, a third-generation property developer who has invested hundreds of millions into projects across Melbourne, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

They were all sitting together watching a match back at home, which Grella was scouting for talent, when the conversation turned to Palermo’s recent takeover by the City Football Group, and then to the plight of Calcio Catania, which had dropped from its heyday in Italy’s top league to Serie C after consecutive relegations, ongoing financial issues and admissions of match-fixing by their former owner, who was arrested.

Eventually, the club was dissolved and permitted to start over this season in the semi-professional obscurity of Serie D, which is actually made up of nine different regionalised leagues and more than 170 teams. Pelligra won a tender process run by the local council to take charge of the ‘new’ club, now known as Catania SSD. He appointed Grella as his chief executive, and is taking advice from Bresciano, one of Pelligra’s business partners, who may yet join them in an official role once his term expires on the Football Australia board.

The ultimate goal is to take them back to where they belong: Serie A, where they played between 2006 and 2014.

“They were down at the bottom of the barrel,” Grella said. “Then comes along three Aussie guys. Everything’s going in the right direction, but I think the key is that the club has a direction to follow. The people are seeing an opportunity to have longer-term, sustainable success.

“With the City Football Group at Palermo, you’ve got two big, big, players here now, who can redevelop and reshape football in one of the most beautiful regions of Italy.”

For Pelligra, who has been fated as a hero on each of his trips back to Catania, this is a deeply personal venture. His mother and grandfather were both born in a small town near Taormina, one of Sicily’s biggest tourist hotspots and the setting for the second season of The White Lotus. It’s a 45-minute drive north of Catania.

“That’s my bloodline,” Pelligra said.

“It had an emotional attachment, but I don’t like having trophies that don’t perform. For me, it was about a team that could be a legend again. Sicily’s got something special, with a lot of the players there. The only problem is they’re rough diamonds that never get an opportunity to play.

“We went and looked into it, I sent my guys up there to do the [due diligence], they rang me back and said, ‘This is clean. You’re starting pretty much from scratch, you can set the team up the way you want it, Ross. You’re not inheriting anything that’s going to cause you any issues. And you’ve got a big fanbase.’

“I knew the club, but I had forgotten how strong the fanbase was. I’ve got to be honest, the night I went to the stadium and I met the fans ... it was just joy, overwhelming being there and seeing that everyone was so excited and passionate about the fact that an Australian owner with Italian roots, from Sicily, had come back to support them.”

Club ownership is increasingly the domain of cashed-up American tycoons and state-owned investment funds, but Pelligra is part of a growing number of Aussies who have taken ownership stakes in smaller, less famous foreign clubs. Clem Morfuni, who turned his Sydney plumbing business into multinational services company Axis, took over English League Two side Swindon Town two years ago and has been credited with revitalising the team and the town. Billionaire Peter Lowy bought a stake in Leeds United, the team he has followed his whole life, in late 2021. The late Metricon founder Mario Biasin, together with Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro, once purchased Triestina, in north-eastern Italy. And until only recently, alleged fraudster Bill Papas was the owner of Greek second-tier outfit Xanthi FC, and was convincing enough to lure Tony Popovic as coach until it later emerged he had purchased the club with stolen money.

This isn’t Pelligra’s first step into the world of sport: he’s also bought the basketball team in Varese, in Italy’s north, as well as the WNBL and Australian Baseball League teams (and the stadium where the NBL’s 36ers play) in Adelaide, where he has been dubbed the city’s ‘development king’.

Sources say he is also close to finally completing a deal to buy Adelaide United together with a local businessman, which could see the Reds become Catania’s sister club. Those who know Pelligra best believe he could have a huge influence on the beleaguered A-Leagues through his sheer ambition, willpower and wealth.

After 20 games (at time of writing), Catania sit 14 points clear on top of the table in their Serie D group, and look bound for immediate promotion. A bit like when Juventus were briefly relegated to Serie B in 2006, their crowds are absurdly oversized for the division they’re in – and point to the lofty expectations of the community, who still think of them as a Serie A club in exile, and which Grella has to carefully manage.

He reckons Pelligra has the “courage of a lion” for taking this challenge on, but knows the turbulent nature of Italian football too well to get carried away with how well they’ve started, because trouble could always be lurking around the corner.

“I told him before we took over the club, his life in this city will dramatically change. Especially if you win. He’ll be like a god here,” Grella said.

“Ross gets stopped in the street, he gets stopped at the restaurants, he gets stopped at the airport ... I keep them all at arm’s distance, because I know, I’ve lived in Italy for a long time, I know the way they are. I’m sort of like the bad cop, he’s the good cop.

“If things go the way we think, then mate, he won’t be able to walk the streets.”

It would be good if some Aussies got starts there, but Series D is way below  A L standard. 

I'm not sure that Aus overseas coaches coaching clubs in good leagues have given many Aussies contracts to play for them - Muscat, Ange, Kisnorbo?  

Catania may have had a recent run of 8 or 9 consecutive seasons in the Serie A, but for most of their history, they have usually spent their time outside of the Serie A.

Wish them the best of luck - no matter the std any promising aussie who didn't get the chance here getting a gig there have far more doors close by improving their future if they are worthy.

Its so sad to read things like this as an Australian football fan....... Well done to Ross, Vince and Marko but how they dont have the opportunity to do something like that here in Australia is such a shame.... 

hit the nail on the ignorant heads here MSC.
Aussie Pelligra Group investing in football abroad.
Such a shame, I see something like a EU300M investment equates to around A$458 thou - nothing like an ALM license naturally but what an investment injection IF it went to a NPL Club !
On a similar note I played summer 6aside comps/Clem played O35's with other mates and I filled in there at times got to know him who bought Swindon TownFC.
https://www.forbes.com.au/covers/investing/why-winning-sometimes-comes-second/
https://www.box2boxnts.com.au/tom-smithies-on-clem-morfuni-the-aussie-on-verge-of-swindon-glory/
He paid around 212,500 pounds sterling - A$370 thou, WTF can't we have these type of genuine local guys invest here.
Clem is doing what has been occuring with Wrexham further below the leagues, great fallen Club stories getting backers who want the best for the Club and the supporter base first and foremost.
Clem had a SFC corporate box, you wonder why he never invested here, no need to comment me think.
Here we are with divided Football management, a closed top front and so many underlying problems and a even more divided supporter base old and new.

Well, isn't Pelligra a Sicilian family company and who has invested back to their place of origin? Such a shame they couldn't invest into, say Juventus in Melbourne or whoever they are now, or Adelaide City, or Marconi etc. I can remember Juventus never having their own ground, amazing there wasn't enough interest to even do that back then.

Melb Victory has (or did have) an interest in Triestina. I wonder how they are going and are they gaining any benefits from it?

The 2nd gen Italian/Aussies running the company are re investing in the town their parents came from.
Sorry mate in part you show your ignorance of migrant backgrounds and geography.
Like rivalry here Qld vs NSW vs Melb for eg Catania in Sicily.
The rivalry is legendary north vs south there, well its pretty similar all over the world right - you only have to watch the Napoli/Maradona docos when vs's Juve for eg and thats just south of Rome.
In most case's NO Way would southerners invest in a northern Club or visa versa ie Juve as you mentioned in regards to here.
Its against the blood, having just been in the north of Italy/Veneto/Milan whilst CL matchs were on to watch Oct/Nov, the local northern taverna's etc wouldn't show any of the Napoli vs LFC game whilst Inter were playing in the other CL game, not one place despite the countless screens in places would they show a southern Club game at the time.

As you asked about MV/Triestina, Mario Biasin (passed away early 22) came from the north east region in Trieste hence buying that small Club (his roots like the above) with Di Pietro.
Don't know what has become to date but that the Club is at the bottom of the table in SerieC atm.
They signed a young Aussie back in 2020 who was at Celtic not sure what has become. 

And yet the Pelligra group sponsor South Melbourne HELLAS and were the financial backers for our unsuccessful 2018 A league license bid... He was going to stump up 20 million dollars to help a monoethnic GREEK club in Australia...... Maybe because Sicily was once part of Magna Grecia :P

hehe yep that he did - what a turn coat hahaha

I think he wants to invest in Adelaide United so he can develop players for the Italian national team now :P

I heard about the Italian North vs South divide but didn't  think there is still that much bad blood between the two. Not that I care much. It didn't stop the Southerners infiltrate Juventus in Melbourne back in the days.

That is what I thought too.

I'd much rather them do it  in Aus.

While I get what ou are saying let's be honest.

No amount of P&R here would stop a few Italo-Australian guys from wanting to try this venture in Italy

Mate, absolutely nothing but respect for the guys involved in this and yeah I get the appeal... Its not JUST the P&R aspect mate, thats just one of things wrong with football in  Australia.... From accounts Ross has also bought an Adealide Baseball club and wanted to (maybe still will) buy Adelaide United and a basketball club with the aim of making a European style sporting identity -- problem is with all the franchised, closed shop restriction he cant.... 
When he was involved in the Hellas bid, he has gong to go ALL In, liked that we where an existing club, had a home stadium he could help "improve" existing fanbase, great history etc etc....  The guys is a sports nut apparently and saw past the "but Hellas is a Greek" club malarky.

If he had met the criteria, especially cough up a good sum of money / license fee, FFA would have snapped Hellas up. Well at least many here tell us that it's only the money FA are interested in.

It appears he didn't go all out at all- contrary to what you imply.

OK.... now your just spouting shit Paulie... 

Hey Con, license fees offered by other clubs were way more than what Hellas offered despite his "All in"...............LOL

Hey Paulie... still around you fraud?  What do you say about Ross Pelligra buying Perth for $1 ..... Now that INDEED is all in eh....

This will make sense sooner. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. get in touch with us

YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT NSD?!?!?!

Ask ol fetishlove if he has next weeks powerball numbers?

Probably has last weeks to be honest

yer seen that, all for it :) Forza more Volpato's lol......
I have hope MV's Biasins fam carry on and look to buy SU58 lol, plenty Triestini or more so Fumani have Cro blood in em like my Popa's side, Hawkey loved multi culturism pity a % of the colonial/skips still living in the 60/70's ala Skyhooks :) 

The revival of Catania is an inspiring story of performance and determination. Grella and Bresciano have played important roles in this story, and they will continue to be important factors for the team in the coming seasons. mapquest directions

Only I may speak of Catania's inspiration, sorry. I'm the gate keeper

I think the fact that Vince Grella and Ross Pelligra, along with Socceroos legend Mark Bresciano, are leading the revival of Calcio Catania is exciting and positive news.

he must be playing around at reddit.

Grella has now sacked his second coach this season.
After being promoted as their Serie D regional champions last year, they are languishing in playoff contention (14th at the moment, 4 points off playoff positions) in their Serie C league this year.

Of note, promotion playoffs at this level in Italy are an absolute shitfight.
4 clubs get promoted each season (the three league winners, as there are 3 regionalised leagues) and the winner of the playoff final. However, the top 10 do have a shot at playoffs - alongside the Serie C Coppa Italia winners: a cup competition held between the Serie C clubs that do not enter/qualify the actual Coppa Italia, provided they also aren't in the relegation zone.

Catania is actually in the final of this cup competition, so winning that means that they still make the promotion playoffs.
Absolute shit fight of a playoff system:

First Round (playoffs within league)

• 5 v 10, 6 v 9, 7 v 8 across all 3 leagues - single leg with no extra time (draw = highest ranked team progresses)

That sounds awful... At least a club has some sort of mechanism to get promoted though not this bullshit super league closed off APL garbage.

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So, double edged sword for Catania's promotion hopes: They've been performing pretty poorly in the league, and are currently sitting equal on points (ahead on goal difference) of the relegation playoff spots.

However, they did win the "Coppa Italia Serie C" final during the week which, provided they do not finish in the relegation playoff spots (16th-20th), puts them in the promotion playoffs in a position as if they finished in the top 3. If they finish in the relegation playoffs, they forfeit that spot to the 4th placed team in their league. Seemed like once they knew they weren't going to finish in the top half of the league (promotion playoff positions), they focused on the Coppa, but that is not going to bite them in the arse.

Only 3 games left:
Home derby v Messina (13th)
Away to Sorrento (10th)
Home to Benevento (3rd)

Catania is in reach of both 16th and 17th (Monopoli and Turis) whose run home sees them play against:
Monopoli - 6th, 9th, 13th
Turis - 8th, 19th, 20th

So it looks like they just failed in the promotion playoffs. Got through a few rounds but failed in quarter finals (or was it semi finals). Great that they won the Serie C cup but their quest to return to Serie A will take just that bit longer

Yep, knocked out in the quarter finals - which was the last stage of 'no extra time'. So despite the aggregate draw against the team that came 2nd in their league, were knocked out due to being the seeded team (the same rule that saw them progress to the quarter finals).

bit by bit, always a process and persistance.