Napoli hesitant as council presents Stadio Maradona reconstruction project | OneFootball

The Naples council has presented its project to restructure the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona with investment at €200m, but Napoli still want their own new arena.

This is yet another battle between clubs and local authorities over the fate of their infrastructure, as while the Serie A owners are eager to invest in creating new purpose-built stadiums, the councils favour simply revamping the existing venues.

Napoli want brand new stadium

NAPLES, ITALY – JULY 14: Aurelio De Laurentiis SSC Napoli president as Massimiliano Allegri is unveiled as the new SSC Napoli head coach at Teatro di San Carlo on July 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi presented his plans today to restructure the Stadio Maradona, with an end date for work planned in 2030.

It would increase the capacity from the current 54,732 seats to 63,300, largely by removing the barely-used athletics track and replacing it with seats taking the fans closer to the pitch.

There will also be 16 new sky boxes built for VIP and corporate guests, new parking spaces outside, and green areas for the local community.

The investment from the council should be in the region of €200m.

Rendering of the planned Stadio Diego Armando Maradona restructuring work (Comune di Napoli)

“We have presented this to the FIGC and UEFA as our candidacy to host EURO 2032,” explained infrastructure assessor Edoardo Cosenza.

“By maintaining the original structure, we can have a stadium that is completely sustainable, self-sufficient for energy and water, with a focus on accessibility. The stadium could be transformed so it can be experienced seven days a week.”

The biggest issue that affected San Siro plans to restructure was not being able to use the stadium during the work.

However, Napoli would still play at the Stadio Maradona with the expanded third tier.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is yet to give his response to the proposal, as he is still pushing to build a whole new stadium outside the city.