Opening comments: “I believe that the Italian Football League is one of the most efficient in Europe. We have supported thanks to bank guarantees. There have been the failures of Parmalat and Cirio, but Italian Football has not lost one euro. Any fee towards other clubs is assured by a guarantee. There are clubs all over Europe that owe hundreds of millions in debt and they continue to go forwards. Here to be registered you need to have a guarantee on purchases, everything has to be in order. I don’t see how the football system can do any more. I hope Parma does not fail.”

A word on Milan’s form: “On the 14th of December we were level on points with Napoli, we then dropped 10 points in 5 matches. What I cannot understand is what has happened from the start of January until now. From the 31st of August through to the 14th of December we kept pace with Napoli. We have had 13 injuries since the start of January.”

Galliani commented on Alex Del Piero, who has given an interview in today’s edition of the Italian daily the Gazzetta Dello Sport: “I tried to buy Alex when he was still at Padova, but they asked for 5 billion lire for a kid of 14 years of age and so we did not get him. We were very close. He is always very kind.”

On Atalanta midfielder Daniele Baselli: “We have spoken with Atalanta. We have thought about it and agreed to speak again in the coming months. We have a form of moral pre-emption. Baselli is in line with our new transfer market policy.”