Mayor of Rome gives backing to AS Roma’s new stadium project

The Mayor of Rome has given his backing to AS Roma’s proposed new stadium and revealed that plans are to be submitted next month.

Roberto Gualtieri spoke to reporters about the project after meeting with AS Roma owner Dan Friedkin at this week’s UEFA Europa League game at the Stadio Olimpico.

The club confirmed in July that it wants to build a new stadium in the Pietralata district of the capital. In the same month, it appointed Italian architectural firm Studio Gau to conduct preliminary work.

“I met Dan and Ryan Friedkin, whom I hadn’t seen since the splendid evening in Tirana last May, for the final of the Conference League: they informed me that shortly, within the month of October, Roma will present the project for the new stadium to be built in Pietralata,” Gualtieri said.

“We are very satisfied. It is a sign of seriousness on the part of the company and we will examine it with the same seriousness.”

Gualtieri said he was “confident” the development will be able to proceed rapidly despite the suggestion there could be appeals regarding the expropriation of land.

He said: “We will see. We have examined all the juridical aspects of the subject. An evaluation has been made, there is a law on stadiums, we will follow developments, but we are confident. The times of realisation? As quickly as possible, we hope. We will examine the project seriously but I believe there will be no problems.”

It was reported in May that the club had issued the first draft of a project that would see a stadium with a seating capacity between 55,000 and 60,000 developed on a 47,000-square-metre plot of land owned by the Municipality of Rome.

The proposal marks the first significant move on a new stadium by Roma’s American owners, the Friedkin group, since the club in February 2021 dropped plans for a new stadium in the Tor di Valle neighbourhood of the city.

Roma had long held plans for a new stadium in Tor di Valle but a change in ownership at the club in August 2020 cast fresh doubt over the project. Following February 2021’s announcement, the club said it was still committed to exploring options for a new stadium at a number of sites.

Studio Gau has prior ties to the Serie A football club, with plans for a 55,000-seat stadium having been drawn up back in 2009. However, this project did not advance.