Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has once again criticized the condition of the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. During his speech at the Football Business Forum, the club owner described the venue as a “semicesso,” which can be translated as “half-dump” or “half-toilet.”

Longstanding criticism

The stadium is old, it still has an athletics track that ruins visibility, and a moat separating the stands from the pitch. This is not a venue worthy of modern football, De Laurentiis said.

This is not the first time the outspoken president has used such language about the Stadio Maradona. A decade ago, he called the city-owned venue a giant toilet and argued that Napoli should be allowed to use it for free rather than paying what he considered an excessive rent.

Despite changes in city leadership, his tone has not softened. Paris Saint-Germain pays the same rent to the city, but they have full control of their stadium and make over €100 million a year, he added. We can only use ours one day before a match and must return it right after. It’s absurd.

© Matt Rayns - Groundhopper

New stadium or renovation?

De Laurentiis has long advocated for the construction of a new stadium in the Caramanico area, in Naples’ eastern district of Poggioreale. His vision includes a 70,000-seat arena – larger than the current 55,000-capacity Maradona – complete with VIP boxes, parking, and commercial facilities. We need 30 hectares to build a modern stadium within the city limits, he argued. But Mayor Gaetano Manfredi and Councillor Cosenza have no understanding of football or the future of sport.

City officials, however, have rejected the plan, citing existing concessions for the Caramanico site, including the planned Arenapoli indoor complex and the nearby open-air market, which employs hundreds of local vendors. Relocating them and creating parking for 8,000 vehicles, officials said, would be unrealistic.

Instead, Naples City Hall favors a renovation of the Stadio Maradona ahead of UEFA Euro 2032, which Italy will co-host with Turkey. The project would rebuild the third tier of stands, increasing capacity by 10,000 to around 65,000 seats. It also includes reopening underground parking lots built for the 1990 World Cup but never used.

The proposal has received support from both regional presidential candidates — Roberto Fico (center-left) and Edmondo Cirielli (center-right). De Laurentiis, however, remains defiant. Are we supposed to play on a construction site for six years? That’s ridiculous. Inter and Milan make €14 million per game, while we earn just €3 million in the Champions League. How can I compete if I have to invest €50–60 million in players? he asked.

© Davide Mancini (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Politics, elections, and UEFA pressure

The stadium dispute has now taken on a political dimension. A crucial meeting of the Special Economic Zone (ZES) council is set to take place in the coming days, which could determine the fate of the Caramanico project. Its chairman, Giosy Romano, is expected to announce a decision within a week — just before regional elections in Campania on November 24.

According to city sources, approving De Laurentiis’ plan could lead to Euro 2032 matches being moved to Salerno, where work is already underway to renovate the Stadio Arechi. We will not allow Naples to be left out, Mayor Manfredi declared. UEFA needs guarantees that the city will be ready. That means: Maradona, not Caramanico.