Maradona Stadium's €200 million renovation begins: the Naples city council is pushing ahead.

Naples – The countdown to Euro 2032 has officially begun, and the City of Naples has decided to break the deadlock, with or without the support of SSC Napoli. The first experimental work began today at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, a targeted intervention on the structure's pylons to test vibration reduction techniques.

The announcement was made by Edoardo Cosenza, Councilor for Transport and Infrastructure, who, speaking to Radio Crc, outlined the detailed roadmap that will transform the Fuorigrotta stadium into a modern arena compliant with European standards.

The tug-of-war over public funds

The project comes amid a climate of institutional frostiness between the City Council and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis. "Whether De Laurentiis likes Maradona or not is his very respectable opinion," Cosenza teased, "but if the institutions want to invest public money in a public good, that's a healthy thing."

The model invoked is that of the Arechi stadium in Salerno, renovated by the Campania Region for €150 million; for Fuorigrotta, the figure on the table could reach €200 million. The councilor didn't hide the Napoli club's detachment: "SSC Napoli has no longer followed the matter directly. We're moving forward anyway; we have to finish the work before 2032."

How the stadium will change

The schedule is extremely tight. The final project must be approved by July 31, 2026. Construction will begin immediately thereafter, with an estimated duration of 18 months. Work will focus on the 23 load-bearing pylons (five will be sacrificed to make room for the new Sky Boxes).

Fans will benefit from a true structural revolution: the Maradona's new look includes significantly improved visibility in the first tier, increased seating in the stands and the stands, and, above all, bringing the fans and ultras closer to the pitch, thus addressing one of the historic criticisms of the Neapolitan stadium. Reserved parking and the services required by UEFA will also be guaranteed.

October Target: UEFA's Verdict

The race against time is needed to secure Naples's candidacy among the five Italian cities that will host the European tournament. After the technical roundtable meeting scheduled for late June with the continental leaders, the final decision from UEFA and the Italian Football Federation will arrive in October. Cosenza is confident: "The three major cities—Milan, Rome, and Naples—all want them. A city that hosted the America's Cup and lives on in the legend of Maradona cannot be left out of Euro 2032."