Vignatti: Those who slated me now beg for my Colón return | OneFootball

He said that Colón did not go down in Rosario but rather “the day Godano and Passeggi ended the claim that Tapia himself had asked us for.” He challenged the current president, who was booed at the Assembly: “If I left 50 lawsuits, let him report me.”

The day after the Assembly of members of Club Atlético Colón whistled and booed the current president Víctor Fransisco Godano, the former head of the Centenario neighborhood entity, José Néstor Vignatti, in an exclusive interview with the ADN GOL program (FM 96.7), accused him of being a “liar,” of not wanting to do everything possible to stay in the First Division, not continuing “with the claim that Tapia himself had suggested,” and of having sold in two years “for seven million dollars” only to fail in sports.

«Godano and Passeggi stopped the claim»

“Colón lived a big lie these two years,” he assured. And he challenged him personally: “He never answered my calls. Moreover, there was a meeting where Tapia wanted to talk to us who were leaving and with those who were taking over. There, the request was to continue with the claim: the decision had been made to organize a big tournament with the promotion of Maipú from Mendoza.”

Vignatti against Godano. Photo: Manuel Fabatía

-What proof do you have that this story is true?

-The note signed by Godano and Passeggi: the first act of government was to revoke the power and annul Colón's claim. There is a document signed by Godano where the day after taking office he withdrew the club's demand for the annulment of the relegations. That is signed.

There he repeated “the phrase,” one of the most striking of the interview: “Colón was relegated when Godano and Passeggi did not continue with our claim at AFA, which was requested by the management and agreed at the highest level. We had to wait and press for two or three more days, but they revoked our power when we knew the result: Colón stayed in First and Maipú was promoted.”

When asked why these two years of silence and the time it took to apologize to the people of Colón for the relegation, Vignatti was blunt: “The one who had to apologize for the relegation was Godano who requested the revocation of our claim. I am angry with Godano because he never answered my calls. I even went to his house and he didn't come out. If I left 50 lawsuits and the club bankrupt, I ask him to report me.

-Two years ago, since Colón was relegated with you and these two painful years with Godano in the “B”, an important part of Santa Fe is bad, sad, and disenchanted. Did they curse you on the street for the relegation?

-Yes, the same ones who congratulated me for making Colón champion for the first time in the club's and the city's history, cursed me for the relegation. But everything settled down, time does everything. Now, they are the same ones who ask us on the street to return to Colón.

The most impactful phrases, linked to each of the topics in this exclusive interview where José Néstor Vignatti spoke again after two years:

-1) Did Vignatti leave Colón in the “B” and bankrupt? “Despite not being respected, I let them govern peacefully for these 2 years. They always said that Vignatti left the club bankrupt, but they never reported me because that's not true. The 50 lawsuits they claimed are a scandalous lie.”

–2) “The Josés”: Alonso to the Government and Vignatti to power? “José Alonso is a highly capable person to be the president of Colón. Alonso has moral solvency, but also the economic solvency needed to be president.”

-3) The famous “Espínola Case” at FIFA. “Our board left $300,000 in a bank account intended to pay for Espínola and that money was used for other things. Godano never answered my calls, nor did he give me the chance to meet face to face. Let's not look for excuses or try to tarnish those who left 30 years of their lives in the club.”

– 4) Elections with five lists in Colón. “For the club's institutional life, having five lists is not healthy. Some seek media prominence rather than institutional prominence. Still, we must have a good relationship with all candidates. We are a family where one thinks one way and another thinks differently.”

– 5) What role will Vignatti play if Alonso is president? “My role will be to collaborate in everything the Board asks of me. If they call me to be in football, I'll go running: I watch football all day, from all categories. I've liked Walter Otta for a year, not just now that he had a great campaign with Morón.”

– 6) Why are the idols “angry” with Colón? “As for Bichi Fuertes, he always has the doors open at Colón. Saralegui completely disappointed me as a person and some little things that are not relevant. Saralegui was an excellent player, but then he ended up disappointing me.”

– 7) Incredibly: “Pancho” Ferraro sued Colón. “Ferraro came to me begging because his son had problems. We didn't want to give him work, but we did because he was Pancho. Things change.”

– 8) The “destroyed” facility and the detonated youth teams. “It's a lie that we left the facility destroyed. Along with José Alonso, we paid for the construction of the laundry and two stands at the facility out of our own pockets and never mentioned it.”

– 9) Vignatti's relationship with “Pulga” Rodríguez. “My relationship with Pulga Rodríguez is excellent, at least on my part. Obviously, he defends his interests and I defended Colón's at the time.”

– 10) How to close the gap in Colón? “Things will go well for us the closer we are. If we lose and they call us, we'll be there. In the last elections, Godano won and never called us.”

«Two years of Godano with lies»

– 11) The recipe for promotion. “If Alonso asks me to give my opinion on football, I'll run to help him. At Colón, we have to make a significant bet; if you bet big, people respond. The manager's task is to entice the player to come to Colón, and the first way to entice is with financial backing.”

-12) Colón, a “self-destructive” club... “After becoming champions, 60 days later there were elections and there were 360 Colón members who, even as champions, did not agree with me and expressed it in the vote. If Godano had done things right, I would have stayed at home and applauded him.”

Alonso and Vignatti. Photo: El Litoral

–13) The role of the Technical Secretary. “I don't agree with the regulation of incorporating a technical secretary. It influences negotiations that later compromise the club. I would do without that role.”

– 14) Was Darrás left alone? “Although we haven't talked for a long time, if Darrás could be added even from the outside, of course, he would be a person who would add value.”

– 15) Why didn't you go home with the glory of Colón Champion? “People like me, who want to see how far we can go, expose ourselves to ending the way we did. We all like to be recognized for what we do. But what hurts is the lie. These two years were based on lies.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.