ROME, Italy: Napoli owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has described the club’s Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as “a dump” and said it is in urgent need of replacing, reported PA Media/dpa.
De Laurentiis was highly critical of the outdated venue and called on Naples’ authorities to let him build a new stadium to boost revenue and enable the club to compete with their northern Italian and European rivals.
AC Milan and Inter Milan can generate up to tens of millions of euros from Champions League fixtures and De Laurentiis told the Football Business Forum in Milan: “We can only get up to three million in that Maradona dump. That’s quite a difference, isn’t it?
“I said the same thing when (Carlo) Ancelotti (in 2018) arrived. Paris St Germain pay the same rent for their stadium as we do, but they have full exclusivity and make €100 million (USD116 million) a year, while we only have access for three days: before, during and after the match.
“It’s an old stadium, with an athletics track and even a moat that pushes fans further away.”
Milan and Inter have announced plans to demolish San Siro and replace it with a state-of-the-art arena after buying it from the city council.
De Laurentiis, who said he would finance a new 70,000-seat stadium for Napoli, added: “Authorities here are football’s biggest enemies. They don’t realise there are 25 million potential voters who care about this sport.
“We need more flexibility. Let clubs build or convert stadiums with integrated housing projects. Those revenues can sustain long-term investment.”
Reigning Serie A champions, Napoli, are currently top of the table, one point above Inter, Milan and Roma, before Sunday’s game at Bologna.
Antonio Conte’s side have been held to goalless home draws – by Como and Eintracht Frankfurt – in their previous two matches and are still without the injured Alex Meret, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.
Bologna, four points behind the leaders in sixth place, were also held 0-0 in their last match, at home against Brann in the Europa League.
They will be boosted by the return of winger, Riccardo Orsolini, but Jens Odgaard and Juan Miranda are injury doubts. – BERNAMA-PA Media/dpa
