“We are a nation of contradictions”, Andrea Abodi

Credit: Photo by Icon sport

Sports Minister Andrea Abodi admits he’s losing patience with the red tape preventing the construction of new soccer stadiums in Italy.

Almost all the arenas used by Serie A and B clubs are owned by the local council and are only rented to the clubs on match day. Many have tried to build their own stadiums, but have been held back by bureaucracy, refusal by local authorities and blocking the use of certain areas. Roma, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Inter have been pushing for years to get their projects approved and show no sign of progress.

“I was much more patient when I was on the other side of the table, but as Minister of Sport I become intransigent. We are a nation of contradictions, but I hope the time for excuses and alibis is over. There is nothing to invent here, we just have to all take responsibility, starting with me. Stadiums are social infrastructure, they can revitalize urban areas, create jobs and reflect all the characteristics of community funding. Instead, we are still here asking questions about competition and priority,” Abodi commented at a summit on the future of stadiums in Italy. The last time many Italian stadiums were built or renovated was for the 1990 World Cup.