Source:REUTERS/Ciro De Luca
[Saba Sports News] Recently, Napoli club president Dino De Laurentiis expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of the Diego Maradona Stadium at a football business forum, describing the stadium as a “dump” and stating it is a massive financial drain. De Laurentiis said: “I already said this when Ancelotti came. Look at Paris, they pay the same fees for using their stadium as we do, but they have exclusive use and generate 100 million euros in revenue from it, while Napoli only has usage rights for 3 days: before, during, and after the match. Inter Milan and AC Milan can earn 14 million euros from their stadium, whereas in this ‘dump,’ the Maradona Stadium, we only make 3 million euros on a Champions League night. And then I have to spend 50 to 60 million euros on players to compete with them.” Furthermore, De Laurentiis revealed that the problems with Napoli’s home ground began during the 1990 World Cup. “They just took the money, and I wasn’t there at the time. I want a new stadium with lots of parking spaces. Those who say people should come by public transport are lying; people want to drive, and they want their cars to be safe after the match. We need a stadium like this in the city. Politicians don’t understand football, nor do they know where football is headed.”