Torino Football Club president Urbano Cairo addressed various topics in a recent interview with Radio Deejay following his team’s victory against Empoli. Cairo, who has been at the helm of the club for nearly two decades, spoke candidly about the possibility of selling the club, fan protests, and the team’s future plans.
Regarding the potential sale of Torino, Cairo stated, “By September 2025, it will be 20 years. If I’m still president on September 2nd, it will be twenty years as Torino’s president. I don’t want to sell Toro; I’m very attached due to passion. However, I’ve said that if someone richer or more skilled than me came along with the desire to do better, I would be willing to sell. I only put the club up for sale once, when we were in Serie B, but no one came forward. I don’t want to stay at all costs, but at the moment, no one has approached me. The Red Bull story? It’s completely fabricated.”
Addressing the recent fan protests, Cairo expressed his disappointment but remained resolute: “I’m very sorry, it doesn’t please me, but I’ve faced it before. I’ve gone from being considered a saint to being protested against, but I know my responsibility to Toro and the fans. Wherever I go, people ask for photos and autographs; there are many positive manifestations. I’ve been close to the coach and the team multiple times: it’s a responsibility to do well, regardless of protests. Everyone has experienced them: even Berlusconi when he stopped winning.”
When reminded of Torino’s poor record in derby matches against city rivals Juventus, with only one win in thirty-one matches under his presidency, Cairo suggested some misfortune: “We’ve had a bit of bad luck in the derbies. I recently saw a YouTube video about all the derbies that were stolen from Toro before VAR, and they’re not few.”
Cairo also addressed the club’s infrastructure improvements: “In the times of Borsano or Calleri, they sold the headquarters, now we have a good level headquarters, we’ve changed it recently. Regarding facilities, Comi told me that Torino has never had such good structures as in recent years. In 2005, I immediately set out to ensure that the Filadelfia was rebuilt. The Robaldo is under construction and will be absolutely ready between July and August; it’s a beautiful sports center with four fields.”
On the relationship with the fans, Cairo remains optimistic: “I believe that the relationship with the fans is recoverable. There was Zapata’s injury, and obviously, we’ll have to intervene in the January market, we’ll do it. Yesterday we saw good signs, but there will be interventions. Relationships are also tied to sporting results. This year we started well, then we lost a few too many games, but yesterday I saw a group eager to do well, a very motivated coach, I’d say everything is going in the right direction.”
