ADL: 'Ashamed of the San Paolo'

By Football Italia staff

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis called the Stadio San Paolo “a toilet” and asked the council to approve reconstruction plans.

This week the council of Naples rejected an initial plan to take the stadium land on a 99-year lease, the same deal that Juventus and Udinese have with their arenas, because it was “not in the public interest.”

De Laurentiis spoke at an event in the city and was damning about the state of the San Paolo.

“I came to Naples and bought this club for €33m from the bankruptcy tribunal. In two years, starting from Serie C2, I spent another €100m. From nothing we became the 15th most important club in Europe.

“I am ashamed when Bayern Munich visit the San Paolo. I am treated as a guest at the San Paolo, yet I paid for the turnstiles.

“This club was born in 2004 and no longer existed. I tried to invest €8m to create an academy in Pompei and Ercolano with 10 pitches, a school, a hotel and gyms. I asked the Mayor to simply give me the land. I never heard from him again.

“I asked for European funds to fix the stadium, but haven’t seen them since either. Private enterprise will always be faster than public administration, but we still need to be put in a condition to work. In this city, the institutions do not help you.

“When the Mayor says I only want to invest €20m in the stadium, I want to point out my money is for really basic work that needs doing. First of all removing the stalactites of excrement.

“I want to buy a top player and not be ashamed of taking him to the stadium. Some complain because their wives can’t go to the bathroom here. I never go to the bathroom at the San Paolo – I’m too scared.

“The Stadio San Paolo is a toilet and I will continue to call it a toilet.”

De Laurentiis insists his plans for the Fuorigrotta area around the stadium would be of immense benefit to the public interest.

“I offered €20m, but other private investors would bring the sum up to €50m. I want to make Fuorigrotta a liveable environment not just when there’s a match every two weeks.

“I wanted to put my doctors at the disposal of the city in a clinic, but I was not allowed to do so. I promised the Mayor I’d build an athletics track somewhere else and create a new gym in Collana.

“Why do you think I want to build 10 football pitches? Because I want to create an academy so 5,000 kids can grow with my Coaches.

“I care about bringing these kids not only back to legality, but also to integration in society.”

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