TMW
Claudio Lotitopresident of the Laziospoke to the microphones of the media present, including TMWon the sidelines of the meeting with Roberto Gualtieri, mayor of Rome, for the stadium Flaminio: “How did it go? Fairly well, we gave a deadline to be able to better perfect the technical aspects, which is the end of October. I think that the municipal administration understood the seriousness and above all the meticulousness with which we approached the problem, trying to respect all the regulatory aspects and above all the architectural aspect of the Flaminio. The mayor was impressed, he appreciated the work we carried out, also for the future perspective. We must combine the possibility of safeguarding the architectural aspect with the excessive usability that they require, otherwise we make a refrain that is of no use to anyone”.
How will you increase the number of places while safeguarding the structure?
“There will be one next door… There is a whole system with Nervi’s architectural procedures. We went to get the current head of La Sapienza University, we have a member of the Nervi family on staff, who expressed his appreciation like everyone else. We are taking things seriously, we have found a very attentive administration, which has understood that our work will bring results and which will seriously address the problems to make the Flaminio usable, with a capacity of about 50 thousand spectators, safeguarding Nervi’s architectural aspect. At the end of October everyone will see the project, not before because then there are wrong considerations”.
What is the probability that an agreement will be reached?
“There is no percentage, the mayor has seen that the activity we have carried out is a job that takes all things into account. There is also trust on the part of the administration that we will present a feasibility project that represents the interests of the community, of compliance with the rules, of the administration and of Lazio. It must be a point of reference and attraction for the neighborhood, it is not something that will live 365 days a year, but with a logic of protection for the environment”.
Are you afraid of competition?
“We are not in a race… I have presented a project that I think has the right spirit to be appreciated. The Flaminio was the home of Lazio, we are giving it back to the Lazio fans. I would like the structure to be at the service of the entire community, it would be used not only for sports things”.
Will there also be a museum?
“First the thing has to be done, then decide what to do with it. We are making a project to safeguard 4 aspects: the first is related to Nervi’s architecture, and it is the most important, the second is usability, the third is that it is a center of aggregation for the city and takes into account the environment. We are trying to mend a situation with the same criteria as Nervi, he is the one who is expanding his stadium”.
How much could it cost Lazio?
“From 250 million euros and up. There is no financier, don’t worry, we don’t sell dreams, but solid realities. We can do it. We didn’t come here suddenly, we did a reconnaissance tour explaining our intentions, now we have to translate them into concrete form as required by the law”.
Do you think you can build a team that can compete with everyone as you said in the past or will the assumptions change?
“No assumptions have changed. No one is downsizing the company, quite the opposite. We are restructuring an organization in a different way because playing football today is different from 15-10 years ago. Today football is more linked to physical potential, team spirit and a little less to individual peculiarities. It is no coincidence that we have hired a coach who values the team. A competitive team must be set up, which must work in unison to achieve the objectives. From the moment in which there are discrepancies in the locker room that determine a lack of homogeneity in behavior, not a harmony and not a unity of purpose, situations can be created like last year where, despite being competitive, and the facts say so, we did not go to the Champions League because we lost to teams less equipped than us like Salernitana, Lecce, Genoa”.
Will you return to the Champions League with Baroni?
“We are confident that with Baroni we will build a competitive team that will try to improve on this year’s position.”
He said he will take action regarding communication. What does that mean?
“I have not made any threats, but everyone talks about things without knowing the extent of them. If you go to a shop and buy a good, the price also includes VAT. I explained to his colleagues that if you buy a player abroad he is not burdened by VAT, if you buy him in Italy he is. Mathematics is not an opinion. When you make a purchase in Italy, the contract with the total value must be deposited. In light of this, we have set up a new communication with a top-level radio studio, with two television studios, but above all with a logic where we will do the communication because you talk about things you do not know”.
But debate is part of democracy.
“But it starts if you know the facts, otherwise… The origin of the money can come from sales revenues, sponsors, personal outlays… We spent 40 million euros, then if Lotito wins the SuperEnalotto what do you do, take the winnings off the amount I spent? I didn’t talk about a gap or delta, but about spending”.