Italian Serie A football club AS Roma’s hopes of building a new stadium in the country’s capital have been given a major boost after the city’s Vice-Mayor, Luca Bergamo, approved the plans.
The proposed €1.6bn ($1.7bn/£1.4bn) project would see a new 52,500-capacity venue built for the team, which currently shares the public-owned Stadio Olimpico with city rivals Lazio.
Although the future of the project remains uncertain, with the plans having faced criticism from various sources, according to the Associated Press news agency, Bergamo’s support may signal that the city is ready to get behind the project. Roma Capitale, the Italian capital’s city hall, will make a formal decision regarding approval next month.
Mauro Baldissoni, general manager of Roma, said: “We’ve always said we want to build this stadium together with the city. We’ve tried to understand the needs of the city council and I think we’ve done so.”
Mayor of Roma Virginia Raggi said there is not yet an agreement in place for the project, despite reports suggesting a deal has already been struck.
Roma first revealed its plans to build a new stadium back in 2014. The stadium’s design has been inspired by the city’s Colosseum and the venue is expected to seat up to 60,000 spectators.
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