After a series of sporting setbacks, Torino Fc is now grappling with pressing financial and organizational issues. At the heart of the crisis are the stadium mortgage and the concession agreement for the use of Stadio Grande Torino, set to expire in 2025.

Key problem with stadium mortgages

As Torino record their eighth league defeat in 17 games, the atmosphere around the club is becoming increasingly tense. In the background of the sporting setbacks, however, there is another drama going on in parallel - financial and organisational. There is increasing talk of a possible sale of the club, which according to La Repubblica depends largely on resolving the stadium issues and capitalising the club. In this context, the mayor Stefano Lo Russo, whose actions could determine the future of the stadium as well as Torino itself, comes to the fore.

Since Urbano Cairo took over the club in 2005, following the bankruptcy of Torino Calcio, financial and legal problems have been a constant feature of Granata life. One of the biggest challenges turned out to be two mortgages worth a total of around €76 million: one on Stadio Filadelfia, and the other on Stadio Grande Torino. The first of these was lifted in autumn 2010 thanks to the intervention of the then sports councillor, Giuseppe Sbriglio. The operation involved complex negotiations with the Agenzia delle Entrate and was ultimately successful thanks to the payment of €535,000, much of which came from a fund set aside by the receiver.

Similar efforts are currently focused on the mortgage relating to the Grande Torino stadium. Mayor Lo Russo is actively working towards its removal, declaring: It's a complicated path, but it's up to me, as mayor, to find a solution to eliminate it. Removing this obstacle could pave the way for a more stable future for the club and allow new projects to take place.

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Concession agreement on brink of expiry

Alongside the mortgage issue, the key topic remains the concession agreement between the municipality and the club, which expires on 30 June 2025. This is the contract governing the terms of Torino's use of the stadium, which is owned by the city. Its renewal requires renegotiation, which puts the dialogue between the mayor and the club's owner in the spotlight.

The current legal situation of the stadium complicates possible talks about its sale or modernisation. Plans for the ambitious Cittadella Granata project, which involves the creation of a sports and leisure complex linked to the club, are also centred around the stadium. However, this project remains in the conceptual phase and its realisation will depend on the settlement of ongoing financial and legal issues.

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