Roma insist new stadium ‘dream about to become reality’ | OneFootball

Roma CEO Lorenzo Vitali insists the plan to build a new stadium for the Giallorossi is ‘close to becoming reality’ after years of work.

The project was first announced when Jim Pallotta took over the club in 2011, but between red tape and multiple different potential sites, it never really progressed.

Now at the helm, the Friedkin family are determined to break the curse and get the new arena built in the Pietralta area.

Speaking at the Social Football Summit event in Rome today, Vitali reassured supporters that they are progressing rapidly.

“From the first day, we have worked side by side with the Council over the stadium. We listened to them like part of the family and thank them for their efforts.

“It is a very complicated project, but I will reveal a secret: there is no stadium in Italy that has reached the level of progress as Roma’s arena.

“We are talking about something that had to be created from scratch. It is a very ambitious project and obviously getting it made in Italy is very difficult, but we are close to handing over the final project to the Council and in the final phase of a very tough bureaucratic process, but we’ll get there.”

Roma stadium plan still in progress

VERONA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 03: Fans of AS Roma during the Serie A match between Verona and AS Roma at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on November 03, 2024 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

The details are somewhat sparse, but the Roma CEO insisted that it would not be a modern eyesore in the Eternal City.

“The stadium is Roman, with a design that fits in with the fabric of the city. Roma fans heard the story about the construction of the stadium too many times, I know, but this dream really is close to becoming reality.”

Roma and Lazio faced extra difficulties with their plans to build a new stadium because they chose land that was not already connected by public transport services or suitable roads.

These need to be built to ensure thousands of fans can flock to and from the venue without difficulty on match days.