AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani believes developing new football stadia is important if Italian clubs are to compete at the highest level.
The Juventus stadium, Udinese‘s Stadio Friuli and Sassuolo‘s Mapei stadium are the only three grounds which are club-owned in Serie A, however, both AC Milan and Roma also plan to build their own stadia due to the huge financial incentives that stadium ownership brings about.
“Stadium ownership is fundamental in football today because to compete both nationally and internationally you need to increase revenues,” Galliani told Udinese channel.
“Costs have risen in recent years and you must therefore optimize revenues, so a football stadium with commercial activities is essential.”
The Rossoneri plan to develop a brand new 48,000 seater ground in preparation for season 2018-19, allowing them to move out of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza which they currently share with rivals Inter.
The Nerazzurri have plans to renovate the ground when Milan finally depart, however Galliani suggests that his rivals will have trouble financing such work if they rely on selling naming rights.
“Football clubs that build a new stadium usually finance it through naming rights.”
“It is rather difficult to give a new name to a renovated stadium because for example to give another name to San Siro would serve little purpose as people would continue to call it San Siro.”
