The Lega Calcio Serie A meeting is held today in Milan, where Tommaso Giulini will also be speaking. Following yesterday's rumors , Cagliari president clarifies the possibility of handing over the club to shareholders led by Maurizio Fiori. "Our corporate situation is very simple," he said on the sidelines of the meeting. "I've always said I couldn't—or wouldn't—take on the construction of the new stadium alone. We've recently been able to bring in new investors, whose primary interest is the stadium itself."
The shareholders' issue is clear, according to Giulini. "If the new stadium project—as I hope—goes forward, these investors' ownership stake could increase: not in the terms I've read recently, but that's my intention. I've always worked in metals; I'm an industrialist, not a real estate developer who can handle the enormous responsibility of building a stadium for Sardinia, let alone sustain such a large investment on my own. Currently, these investors are in the minority; if the stadium project goes forward, they could become the majority ."
The shareholders' discussion is therefore inevitably linked to that of the stadium. The game for Euro 2032 is wide open, despite the countless delays : "On our side, we're still ahead of many cities. Unfortunately, I've been saying this for a few years now: I hope to stay ahead of other cities. The current situation is that we presented the final economic and financial plan in December: we're waiting for the Municipality to give us the green light to start, and then they can launch the international tender, and whoever wins will build the stadium ."
Here's how Giulini explains the difficulties surrounding Cagliari's new stadium. "There are still two issues, as far as I know, open: one is the surface rights, which the Municipality wasn't convinced to grant us as we requested—but everyone who has ever held a concession on land from the public administration in Italy has had them, and we're insisting on theirs. We're open to hearing the Municipality's requests not to grant this surface right, a process that might be unfavorable for them if the banks themselves wanted to secure it . Our lawyers are seeking an agreement, and I'm very confident it can be reached, and quickly."
In closing, Giulini lists the second issue blocking the stadium process. "The other issue, as far as I know, concerns parking and fees," he recalls. "I want to clarify one thing: the fee Cagliari pays to the special purpose vehicle that will build the stadium, which I believe is €2 million, is one thing. This is the amount Cagliari pays to have the stadium on matchday. The fee between the special purpose vehicle and the Municipality, however, is another matter, which in our opinion should be symbolic to get the PEF through the door: I've heard the mayor of Genoa talk about a zero-cost fee for Marassi. Even more so, if the Municipality were to be given management of the parking lots, we believe the fee should be eliminated ."