Napoli President slams red tape and debt in Italian football

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis warns ‘red tape’ must be cut to allow clubs to build new stadiums in Italy, while noting ‘the top clubs are up to a billion in debt.’

The patron met with Igor Tudor today to discuss replacing current coach Rudi Garcia, but also stopped off to talk at the convention on reforming sport in Rome.

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A large part of the focus of this summit was the constant battle of many clubs to get a new stadium project off the ground, as they are hindered by various laws blocking progress.

“If you want to help clubs out with stadiums, we need laws to limit the vetoes that local councils and supervisors can enact,” warned De Laurentiis.

“We cannot be held hostage by local councillors who alter the projects already presented and force anti-economic choices when the Councils themselves do not have the funds to improve or maintain the structure.

“The law that was changed in 2021 risks never being implemented because the Councils are constantly intervening.”

Most projects presented by clubs eager to use their own funds to build stadiums are blocked because of concerns the businesses will be ‘speculating’ on public land.

The councils largely run and own the stadiums, then rent them out on match day to the clubs.

Those who do have their own arenas, such as Juventus, Udinese, Atalanta and Frosinone, did so by taking a ‘leasehold’ deal lasting 99 years on the land.

“The changes to the law are unable to damage the incurable diseases of our country, which are red tape and political interference.”

De Laurentiis also slammed the way that many of his rivals for the Serie A title are run, having taken Napoli up post-bankruptcy from Serie C to winning the Scudetto.

“If I look at the five most important clubs in Italy, their debts run from €500m to a billion, which means that this football world simply doesn’t work.”