Napoli warning Stadio Maradona cannot be improved for EURO 2032

Napoli released a formal statement confirming they believe the Stadio Maradona is not suited to planned reconstruction work, intending to build a new arena to host EURO 2032 matches.

The issue of stadiums in Italy continues to be a huge problem, especially with the upcoming deadlines to provide five venues for the EURO 2032 tournament.

That is being co-hosted by Turkey, so they need five stadiums each rather than 10, but it is still proving difficult to even get those in place.

The local council in Naples has proposed a project of refurbishment for the existing Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, which was the subject of a meeting involving UEFA, the FIGC, the local authorities and Napoli.

Napoli confirm plan for new stadium

The club released a statement this afternoon warning that the encounter reached ‘no decision’ and if anything it convinced them even more that “the Stadio Maradona is not suited to hosting EURO 2032.”

They denied reports that UEFA had given the all clear for this to be a host venue for the tournament.

“After two years of studied paid for by the club, we excluded the compatibility of investment at the Maradona. Even those changes hypothesised by the Council, which are unsatisfactory, would not allow the stadium to reach the standards of a modern arena.

“Napoli intend to invest its own resources for the construction of a new stadium, capable of hosting EURO 2032 as well.

“The club has identified a degraded area of the city, where the construction of a new stadium would give a significant contribution cost-free to the city of urban renewal.”