Maradona Stadium: De Laurentiis rows with council, Euros at risk | OneFootball

After the statements by Aurelio De Laurentiis, who described the Maradona as "a semi-dump," comes the firm response from the Naples City Council's Infrastructure Assessor, Edoardo Cosenza.

Maradona Stadium, open clash between De Laurentiis and the Naples City Council: Cosenza responds firmly: "We move forward or the European Championship is off"

The ongoing confrontation highlights an increasingly deep rift between the Neapolitan club and the city administration, just as Italy prepares to host EURO 2032 together with Turkey.

Interviewed by StileTV, Cosenza clarified the city's position: "He can say whatever he wants and however he wants. We are quite happy if he builds a modern stadium. But at the moment, the City of Naples only has the Maradona and must think about how to improve it. We are planning a series of interventions: it won't become the best stadium in the world, but it has a solid structure, a central location, and represents a piece of the city's history and memory. We move forward on our path, otherwise, the European Championship is off."

De Laurentiis attacks: "The authorities are the greatest enemies of football"

The president of Napoli, speaking during the Football Business Forum at Bocconi, openly accused Assessor Cosenza and Mayor Gaetano Manfredi: "They know nothing about football. The authorities are the greatest enemies of football."

Cosenza responded with more institutional but equally firm tones: "I don't like these ways of doing things, but I respect them. Neither I nor the mayor have anything else to add. If De Laurentiis builds a modern stadium, we will be happy. However, concrete ideas and feasible projects are needed, and we will provide all possible support."

Addressing the proposed project for the Caramanico area, the assessor added: "We are not against a new stadium, but it must be realistic. On the presented project, we have made technical observations: there are critical issues, and we will see if it is possible to overcome them."

The numbers of the renovation: 200 million for the new Maradona

The city's plan includes a total investment of 200 million euros for the Maradona's restyling. Cosenza explained that the work will follow a modular logic: "No seat will ever be lost. We will intervene first on the third ring, then on the first. UEFA rules require the presentation of the approved project by July 2026, and we are confident of meeting the deadlines."

The city also emphasized the economic value of the facility: "In just one month of concerts in June, the Maradona generates 3.2 million euros in revenue. Napoli, on the other hand, pays less than 900 thousand euros a year for its use."

The intervention of Minister Abodi: "A clear decision is needed from the territory"

The Minister for Sport, Andrea Abodi, also intervened in the matter, urging the parties to collaborate: "The positions are distant. The club on one side and the administration on the other. We are not referees, but we can offer support, even financial. However, decisions are needed that belong to the territory. The selection of facilities for EURO 2032 will be a competition within the competition: in eight months, UEFA will evaluate who is truly ready."

The political issue and the comparison with Salerno

Abodi also expressed doubts about the choice of the Campania Region, led by Vincenzo De Luca, to allocate 150 million euros for the restyling of the Arechi Stadium in Salerno and not the Maradona: "It's a paradox. Naples is seeking its dimension while Salerno has already found it. Yet Salerno's intervention is directly financed with public funds. I hope similar resources are allocated to other facilities and grassroots sports."

Edmondo Cirielli, the center-right candidate in Campania, also commented: "Major facilities, like Salerno's and the now necessary one in Naples, will also need the Region's commitment. An agreement with the City and the club will be needed. Stadiums must become engines of economic development for the territories."

An ongoing rift

The gap between Napoli Calcio and the Naples City Council seems difficult to bridge today. On one side, De Laurentiis is pushing for a new privately-owned facility; on the other, the city administration continues on the path of the Maradona's restyling as the only way to ensure Naples' presence among the host cities for EURO 2032.

Meanwhile, time is running out, and UEFA awaits responses: "Either a decision is made, or the European Championship is truly off."

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