Mayor cools talk of new stadium for Napoli

Mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi has cooled talk of a new stadium for Napoli, insisting that the immediate focus will be on renovating the Serie A club’s current home, Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Last week, Napoli owner and president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed that a plan had been drawn up for the club to move to a new 60,000-seat stadium in the Bagnoli quarter of Naples.

De Laurentiis said that a new stadium could be delivered in adequate time for it to be a host venue during UEFA Euro 2032, which Italy will co-host with Turkey. De Laurentiis’ comments came after reports earlier in the week had suggested that a breakthrough could be near on a solution to redevelop the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

De Laurentiis said a new stadium could open as early as 2027, but Manfredi said any project would likely have a longer timescale. Speaking to La Repubblica-Napoli, Manfredi said: “The priority is Stadio Maradona.”

He added: “First of all, the reclamation times are longer than what has been said. Just yesterday we defined the timetable in detail together with the ministry and Invitalia, because we are talking about a site of national interest. It would be a complex operation, as there already exists an urban plan there with already defined intended uses.”

Formerly known as Stadio San Paolo, Stadio Diego Armando Maradona opened in 1959 and has a current capacity of over 54,000. De Laurentiis has long been displeased over Napoli’s situation at the stadium and has been in disputes with a succession of the Campania capital’s leaders.