This new Sant'Elia seems to have grown too large, with its 126 ultra-luxury hotel rooms, twenty or so food and beverage kiosks, and 4,200-square-meter wellness center. The project's ambitions aren't at issue, which are never overly ambitious in a city that has branded itself provincial yet feels European. "The central issue," trade associations and experts ask, "is the investment coverage: what is the public interest in building the non-sports facilities envisioned in the project?" A weighty question, awaiting an answer. There's a lot of money at stake: 50 million from the Region and 10 million from the Municipality. Plus the project bond from SFIRS, the Sardinian safe, a subsidized loan worth another 30 million.
The warning
Fausto Mura, president of Federalberghi Sud Sardegna, immediately makes it clear where he and his associates stand. "Cagliari," he says in the introduction, "needs a new stadium, not only for football, but also for events that can boost tourism. However, we cannot hide our concerns about the planned ancillary works." A facility similar to those in Turin and Düsseldorf, Manchester and Paris, is unconvincing. "Building a hotel with public funds distorts competition. The damage to the Cagliari and Sardinian markets would be enormous." Federalberghi is demanding "transparency: we also understand that the management contract would be awarded without a public tender. This is another aspect we contest." The designated candidate, barring any pre-contractual revisions, is Accor, a French hospitality giant with 6,000 properties in 110 countries, which would land in Cagliari with the Swiss brand Mövenpick, acquired in 2018. Management of the wellness center is also French, and its fate will be sealed by the Snow Group. Sant'Elia's turnkey package is worth €218,621,208. It creates an SPV, a special purpose vehicle, bringing together Giulini's Cagliari Calcio and the Costim Re Group. But considering that building a stadium, whether traditional or modern, costs an average of €3,500 per site, the Cagliari facility, authorized for 30,076 fans, costs just over €150.2 million. The rest, practically half of the total cost, is spent on non-sports facilities.
