Néstor Grindetti, with Clarín: “After 63 years as a partner, being president of Independiente is a boy’s dream”

“Being in this field that you’ve been coming to for 63 years is motivating,” she says Nestore Grindetti sitting in the presidential box of the Libertadores de América-Ricardo stadium Enrique Bochini for the first time as president of Independiente. On the playing field Ricardo Zielinsky carries out his initial training while the man who had to take over temporarily due to the abrupt resignation of the Fabiano Doman last tuesday he chatted alone with clarion.

“I’m 68 and a partner is 63. I used to come to the double visor gallery with my old man. I had an audience afterwards, but I know all four sides. I used to come to the pool as a kid. We can spend whole afternoons talking about experiences I remember In my house I have the stalls of my old man and mine”, says Grindetti, who had to apply for a license for 30 days as mayor of Lanús to become the assault pilot of a Red car drowned by debts and sunk in bottom of the table.

-Were you surprised by Doman’s resignation?

-I was surprised. I wasn’t with him every day and it was a surprise. The day he resigned he had health problems and I had to rush out to organize an urgent meeting of the Committee because I understood that a responsibility fell on me. I applied for a license from the city to do this. With the leadership we work spectacularly. We have resolved the coaching issue and that leaves us alone. We solved the first task.

-When did you know that Doman had resigned?

-I had an eye treatment and was in surgery. When I went out, I looked at my watch, which is connected to my phone, and the first thing I saw was that Doman had resigned. I said “this is fake news”. Then I realized my phone was exploding.

-Could you talk to him?

No. He didn’t call me and I was so invested in it… When things happen I look forward and solve problems. That’s right, that’s right.

-Don’t you think they should talk?

-In life you have to chat with everyone and I chat with everyone who wants to chat with me. It seems to me that she has had manifestations by taking on some things that no one understands why. Today I don’t really want to chat with him. But if so, I will speak. I had a great relationship with him. I have always respected the figure of the president. I kept what I promised, which is to work on the economic and financial issues. Today Independiente is balanced.

-How is it balanced?

– It’s balanced. We had new income from sponsors that weren’t there, we made 16,000 new members, box sales and subscriptions… Income against monthly expenses, today Independiente is not losing any money. If everything continued as it did when we took office in December 2023, the club would be 1,200 million pesos more in debt. That was cut. Now you have to generate money to pay off the debt, of course.

-Doman spoke of the absence of an economic-financial project…

-Of course there is a project. To raise funds in an orderly manner, a trust fund must be set up, to give peace of mind to those who want to help Independiente. Arming yourself well is not easy. Get all the sponsorships we got with the help of the entire Commission and Cristian Ritondo… Our project is coming to fruition. I don’t know why Doman says the plan didn’t work out. If it hadn’t been done today, we would be losing one hundred million pesos a month.

-Santiago Maratea has started a crusade to raise funds for the club, what do you think of that move?

-Maratea has a lot of followers and I appreciate you thinking about Independiente. It’s his initiative and you have to let him do it. We will not interfere. You have to do your job as transparently as you always do. If it is effective, we will see how, together with him, the funds raised will go to Independiente. When he calls us we will participate.

-Is your idea to be a transitional president or could you analyze the fulfillment of the mandate to the end?

-Many things can happen in my political aspect (Note: intends to run for Governor of Buenos Aires). I asked for 30 days to order it and we will see. What is sovereign is the Assembly. After 63 years as a member, being president of Independiente is a child’s dream. The House will have to choose, but we have to let things flow a little more.

-You had to fulfill the boy’s dream in an unexpected way, at a certain point in your life did you think of trying to become president of Independiente or never?

-Of course he fantasizes about being in the top position. But I wasn’t going to do it now. As Vice President, I had the peace of mind that I could manage my time well.

-The fan is angry and scared because the team is in terrible shape and close to last place, the bet on Stillitano went badly, the news of the debts is still worrying and what’s more the president has resigned. What do you say to people who don’t see a way out?

-Everything in life has a way out, with effort and with time. Here is a Commission that is at the forefront of the helm and that we have a clear vision. I understand that the fan complains about the passionate side of him. I can say to that fan: “Be calm because there is a Commission here that is getting away with it”. There is light at the end of the tunnel. We will go ahead.

-Does the national rift end up joining the political actors club?

– We make efforts so that this is not the case. It is true that for an outside observer it can be seen that he is. We are not all Pros, there are other leaders with other political affiliations. I can assure you that in discussions of club issues, politics does not get involved.

Why Zielinsky?

-Zielinski has a very big peculiarity. I really like coaching, motivation, group management and teamwork. The Russian has a personality that is very good for it. He is a born motivator. He has a balance between the technical and the motivational. It’s just what we need right now.

-Is it true that you tried to convince Repetto but there was no case?

-In the mess that was that night I spoke to him to find out what was going on. I realized there was no way. I put myself in his place and I realized that he was in Ecuador with his family and they had just told him that the president of Independiente with whom he was negotiating had resigned and the cameras were at the door of the office with some guys having a bit of a mess. If we put more pressure on it, it would come unwillingly and not work.

-What is the immediate next step?

-I will personally work on the debts. We will work on the Mexican debt. It is more than double the original debt, the negligence of the previous Commission managed to double it. I want to put together a very good proposal and, if necessary, go to Mexico to negotiate payment options with America. We have to give them the guarantee that this Commission will comply. Independiente’s image internationally has been greatly discredited and we are trying to rebuild it.

-Because of this debt, the club is inhibited and, in turn, there are dozens of young people who cannot even play in their categories, are there any steps to solve this problem?

-It’s not fair to the guys because they don’t compete at a professional level. Not allowing a guy to evolve in his training because the club is inhibited doesn’t seem right to me. I think common sense will prevail and that will soon resolve itself. It has been handled and we have already raised the situation in FIFA.

-The Verón case keeps the club on its toes, will the strategy remain the same as up until now?

-Yes. It is a very unfair judgement. Our lawyers have presented an innumerable amount of evidence for the Court to analyze. It will be justice. It is something absolutely excessive originating from a bad professional practice by the previous lawyers. It’s come down to this: 2.3 billion for less than 14 games played sounds like a lot. It will take a long time, but I’m optimistic it will go out in favor of Independiente.

Are you going to continue the trial against the Moyanos as well?

-Yes, it was presented by Doman on behalf of the Commission. This will follow the process of him.

-The classic is coming, Independiente is bad and if Racing is on a good day it is much superior on paper. Do you sign the tie?

-Ninth. I want to win.

-Can this Independiente beat Racing?

-Yes. Football is the unthinkable. With Independiente I have many experiences of impossible things. If we are all as motivated as we are right now, I think we have a great chance of winning.

-What would the Grindetti fan say who came onto the pitch with his father at the Grindetti who must be president of Independiente at this moment?

-Do everything possible to get the eighth.

-But today is something very far away.

– Disappeared, I didn’t say when.

-If you think about the future, it’s because you’re analyzing to continue…

-What I say is that we begin to build the path. You cannot aspire to win a Libertadores in the situation we are in today. But we can start walking a path for it. If I happen to win it in the next few years and this year the springboard was management, I’ll be happy.

Grindetti and suspicions about the referee of the classic

The referee assigned for this Sunday’s classic against Racing is Yael Falcón Pérez, who has been working since 2020 at the Undersecretary of Sport of the Municipality of Lanús, more precisely at the Municipal Soccer Referee School.

When his name was designated for Sunday’s derby by the Lazio side of Avellaneda, they shouted to the sky and raised their guard. It is that Néstor Grindetti, mayor of Lanús, had remained president before the resignation of Fabián Doman. And suspicions grew.

Falcón Pérez has submitted his resignation from that job for this matter. “This topic struck me because he had to resign from a position he held in the Municipality because I am president of Independiente and mayor. It’s not my fault, it’s because of the circumstance, because there were suspicions,” said Grindetti in front of the question of clarion From.

And he added: “It doesn’t seem right to me, but nothing else could be done because otherwise the suspicions would continue. I can’t think badly of anyone I don’t know”.