De Laurentiis: Napoli need new stadium, trust in midfield vs Juventus | OneFootball

Aurelio De Laurentiis is making waves once again. Speaking at the conference on sports and infrastructure within Napoli Racing, the Napoli president addressed the central issues concerning the club’s future without filters: from the stadium project, now deemed unavoidable, to the city’s ambitions, and even the Napoli-Juventus match.

De Laurentiis shakes Naples: “The stadium needs to be rebuilt, project from scratch.” And on the clash with Juventus: “I trust our midfield”

A clear stance that opens a new front in both political and sporting discussions.

“The Maradona needs to be rebuilt from scratch: we need 70,000 seats and 120 skyboxes”

For De Laurentiis, the stadium issue has reached a point of no return. The president doesn’t mince words when describing the state of the facility and its incompatibility with the club’s ambitions:

“Everything needs to be rethought from scratch. It’s not possible to renovate while keeping what already exists. In London, they demolished and rebuilt. Here, we’re still debating whether it’s acceptable to tear down the Maradona. To compete with Milan and Inter, we need a stadium with 70,000 seats and at least 120 modern skyboxes.”

The owner renews the idea of involving internationally renowned architectural firms—Japanese, American, European—to create a structure capable of engaging with innovation, technology, and a city that, in his words, should become a laboratory for new urban development.

He is also critical of the bureaucratic system:

“We need to speak clearly with the Superintendencies. We must build something modern, functional, and suited to today’s needs.”

Naples and the identity to export: “We’re not enough ambassadors of ourselves”

De Laurentiis then dwells on the city’s role and the need to enhance its potential:

“Naples is extraordinary, but it can’t sell itself externally. We have a capable mayor who is now also president of ANCI: he could become a national leader. We need courage, we need quick decisions. We can’t stand still while others shift gears.”

A passage that reiterates the president’s vision: a city that must return to being central in the Mediterranean, capable of attracting investment and positioning itself as an international hub.

The Formula 1 idea: “Naples can offer a unique show to the world”

There was also room for motorsports, a central theme of the event. De Laurentiis recalled an episode from 2004:

“I said to Iervolino: let’s bring Formula 1 to Naples. Today, with drones, we could show the world a spectacular circuit: from Pompeii to Capri, from the Coast to Herculaneum. Naples could host a city race better than Monte Carlo.”

A provocation? Perhaps. But also yet another strategic vision from a president who imagines the city as a global stage.

Towards Napoli–Juventus: “I believe a lot in our midfield”

He closed with a reference to Sunday’s big match, a crucial challenge for the continuation of the championship:

“I trust our midfield. Even in difficult times, problems give rise to the ability to reinvent ourselves. We Neapolitans are used to turning shortcomings into opportunities.”

A message of confidence, despite injuries and Conte’s limited rotation options.

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