Roma stadium meets political resistance

By Football Italia staff

Roma's project for a new stadium is meeting resistance by the city's vice-mayor, who is opposed to 'real estate speculation'.

The Giallorossi submitted their plans for a property stadium at the end of April, and the go-ahead now has to be approved by the city council.

Questions have been raised as to what will happen with the project under the city's new mayor Virginia Raggi, the first to be elected from the anti-establishment party Movimento 5 Stelle.

While Raggi and other M5S representatives had dismissed the stadium project in the past, claiming that Rome had other problems to worry about, they sounded more lukewarm about the idea closer to the elections.

However, vice-mayor Daniele Frongia recently spoke out against the current plan to build the stadium in Tor Di Valle.

“We must speak of building a stadium, not a new neighbourhood with a small portion dedicated to the stadium,” said Frongia.

His main objection has to do with the fact that, according to a report by Il Messaggero, only 14 per cent of the volume of the project will be covered by the stadium, with the remaining 86 per cent dedicated to shops, hotels, restaurants and offices, including three skyscrapers that would be up to 220 metres tall.

Members of the M5S party have attacked this project as an instance of real estate speculation, claiming there was no point in investing such substantial amounts for a neighbourhood in which almost nobody lives.

The property stadium is viewed as vital for the future of the club, with president James Pallotta claiming it will allow Roma to bridge the gap with Serie A giants Juventus and promising it will be complete before the year 2021.

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