Naples: The City Council allocates €50 million for renovations at the Maradona Stadium: A European dream.

Naples – The City Council of Naples, at the request of Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, has authorized the use of €50 million of municipal funds for the redevelopment of the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The goal is to enable the city's candidacy, with the Fuorigrotta stadium, for the 2032 European Football Championships.

The municipal funds are in addition to the €150 million allocated by the Campania Region through the CIPESS (National Council for the Evaluation of Sports and Sports Activities). For Palazzo San Giacomo, they guarantee the necessary financial coverage for the project, in compliance with the timeline requested by the football authorities. The Maradona Stadium, the resolution emphasizes, represents for Naples "a gathering place, a heritage for entire generations, and a sporting infrastructure that draws on its history as a strength." It is the home of the city's team, fresh from two league titles in the last three years, and the venue for important national and international sporting events.

Precisely because of its importance, the Regional Council also approved, through separate measures, the guidelines for the planning of the redevelopment and modernization works. In April 2026, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Campania Region and the City of Naples for the implementation of strategic projects, including the stadium. The process established by the FIGC and UEFA is now awaited.

Gennaro Acampora, Democratic Party group leader in the city council, weighed in on the decision. "The €50 million allocated by the City," he said, "is the consistent and convinced confirmation of a belief shared not only by the administration but by the entire city: the Maradona is the only stadium to which Neapolitans, fans and otherwise, have historically held a special affection. The great world-class football stadium to be built in the city could only be this, and the only viable option was and is its renovation."

Acampora, however, adds a criticism: "It's just unfortunate that along this path, undertaken with concreteness and competence, there hasn't been any synergy with the club we all support as fans. A club that, unfortunately, over the years has never offered concrete support to the administration's work, repeatedly announcing projects that never materialized and accusing our mayor and other representatives of local and national institutions of responsibilities they don't have."

The Democratic Party group leader concluded by reiterating the administration's willingness to help: "We will be ready to do our part by supporting SSC Napoli in compliance with national laws and available opportunities. Meanwhile, we have a duty to move forward along this now clear path, to achieve a unique project in history and for the good of the city."