Mayor Gaetano Manfredi rejected a request to postpone the Zes decision-making conference scheduled for next Monday. The Municipality will attend the Conference to update the dossier that has been presented in the first instance on important issues of the stadium project Patron Aurelio De Laurentiis wanted to build in the Caramanico area. Maximum determination was also expressed by the President of both championships, he considered that the green light was not a fantasy. It is understood that the Municipality’s objection is not against De Laurentiis’s project, but aims to find a solution to three main problems: the fate of the Caramanico market which will require – if concessions from Zes arrive – another place where work can continue. The impact of the Patron project on other existing concessions such as AreNapoli, a 12,000-seat sports and events hall. And 8000 parking spaces that are not environmentally friendly for the City Government. The City Government – they reiterated from the Palazzo San Giacomo – is not against the construction of a new factory as long as “it is concretely feasible”.
Everything is now in the hands of Giosy Romano, President of Zesit’s up to him to make the decision. Based on what happened on Monday, Romano will consider further opinions from all parties involved and then take a decision after 5-7 days to avoid exploiting the election. Voting will close on November 24, on which day it will be known who will be the successor to outgoing governor Vincenzo De Luca, or – in alphabetical order – between Edmundo Cirielli, the center-right candidate and Roberto Fico, the progressive candidate.
So what could happen on Monday? That’s from Palazzo San Giacomo and the Metropolitan Municipality – both led by Manfredi – would technically be “negative opinions”. In the sense that it will be conditioned on the solution of market, Arenapoli and parking problems. However, there are other bodies besides the previous City and Provincial Governments that have supportive opinions. There are 8 local governments evaluating projects sent to Zes. Unanimity is required, but it is also possible that the project can be adopted based on the “prevailing position” of the participating governments. This means the majority of votes. Despite the fact that the President’s opinion remains firm, it turns out that the Regions tend to agree with De Laurentiis. The region is one of 8 entities sitting in the Services Conference. If it is true that the Santa Lucia agency did not have significant influence on the project itself and could only express opinions from a landscape point of view, then as a body with an interest in production activities, it had great influence. And the stadium is one of those activities. Why should the Region go up to Municipality again after San Carlo? The source at Palazzo San Giacomo was very explicit: «With a yes for Caramanico – the reason – there will be a green light for the 2032 European Championship in Salerno because obviously waiting for the new stadium whose guarantee of being ready for the European Championship is not there, Maradona will go into the background. This would be a slap in the face to the city that we will not allow». Manfredi, who recently met with FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, received direct confirmation of the pressure being exerted by Salerno to hold the 2032 football event. From the City Government they recalled that «financing to rebuild Arechi came from the outgoing president De Luca of around 200 million. In Napoli, the same request that had been sent in 2023 was rejected and we will not allow this city to be damaged.” The Municipality only has Maradona as a stadium and must think of ways to improve it. «We will continue on our path otherwise the European Championship will fail. When UEFA assures us that there are other alternatives, we will evaluate them.” And the alternative must always be in Naples.
