It will be “very difficult” for Como to be able to play their first home match at Sinigaglia, but the objective is to “comply with all legal provisions, even if derogated, as soon as possible”. Mayor Alessandro Rapinese said it.
Let’s start with Serie A and the stadium. The commissioner declared that “we must move immediately and well” guaranteeing maximum availability. What is the municipal front doing?
First of all, I had the honor of being able to watch a couple of Como matches alongside the police commissioner, who is a great expert and passionate about football, and I am happy that at this moment he is the one following the procedures for the safety of citizens. For our part, what we started doing from the first day of my inauguration will continue, namely the two expansions of places (the last one a thousand more, ed.) and the lighthouse towers.
And what is the objective to be achieved?
The objective is to play at Sinigaglia as soon as possible, complying with all legal regulations, even if exempted.
Thinking about playing the first match at home will be difficult, right?
Frankly, I think it’s very difficult. Obviously I am very sorry, but this period will be crucial and the idea of being able to move as one man with society, the key figure of the prefect and with the police commissioner, working well as has been done up to now will allow us to reach the main objective, that is to be able to play our first year in Serie A at Sinigaglia, the toughest one. The truth is that while all the rest of the fans from the first day we start playing at home, even with the exemptions, will be able to enjoy the magnificence of the top flight, I and my offices will already be from work in anticipation of when these exemptions will expire and everything will have to be in compliance also because, with the debts, the club’s plan and ours is for Como to become a permanent presence in the future Serie A. The current workload of this administration I imagine will not decrease for at least a couple of years.
Are there ongoing contacts with other cities for an alternative stadium?
There are aspects that are the responsibility of the mayor, others of the company and still others of other bodies and I will certainly not be the one to disclose information that I do not manage. However, I firmly reiterate that every single organization of the Republic involved is working hard to achieve the goal and demonstrate that it is first class in its sector.
How long do you expect the company to present the project for compliance with A?
The work is frenetic and the contacts are assiduous. The matter is in the hands of the offices of the Municipality of Como, owner of the plant. Offices that are already ready for the Champions League because without a manager (Luca Noseda, ed.) and a team of this quality we would not have been able to obtain even the thousand places and the towers.
We are talking about more places in the distincts, but there is also the problem of the guest curve to reduce the risk of “infiltrators” in other sectors…
It is clear that the places reserved for guests must also increase.
What guarantees does it give to residents?
Como has already been in Serie A and there were a lot more people in the stadium so the impact will be less. We are talking about a quarter more seats compared to the current 7500. The real crux will be, in the planning of the new stadium, the impact on roads.
Speaking of the new stadium, will the adjustments slow down the new stadium?
First of all, the Como players are happy that their team has arrived in Serie A even earlier than planned. However, if I think about my hair, my baldness will certainly be accelerated since the fact that they have wasted time exposes us to a double effort: guaranteeing the transition with the current system and then planning one suitable for staying in Serie A. Of course if I think about the alternative of remaining in B until the definitive system is built, I say “never mind, the people of Como will have a bald mayor”…
Doesn’t the Superintendence’s restriction risk losing a great opportunity?
Absolutely not. The Superintendence carries out its precious task and the protected parts are already well known to our technical office.
