Fiumicino: the Beach Summer 2024 Sports Village, set up on the Salute seafront, is preparing to host a highly prestigious sporting event, but in the meantime the controversy between the opposition and the majority present in the airport municipality does not subside. On the one hand, the high costs of setting up and enhancing the summer arena are underlined, on the other the majority defends itself by responding in kind.
Back and forth between the opposition and the majority within the municipality of Fiumicino, regarding the event organized at the Beach Estate Sports Village
Opposition councilors point out that the costs for the summer arena they went from 4 thousand to 55 thousand euros in just two years, then underlining several doubts regarding the process for creating and approving the sporting event: “The news of the inauguration of Beach Sports Village Summer 2024 at the Lungomare della Salute in Fiumicino leaves us somewhat perplexed, in particular regarding the methods for approving and carrying out the entire event by the Department of Sport and Culture of the Municipality of Fiumicino”.
Making matters worse on the subject, the opposition councilors highlight further details which they say are negative: “Our doubts start from the fact that only those with an extremely labile cognitive capacity could have forgotten that this sports village certainly does not represent anything new in the panorama of summer events promoted in Fiumicino”.
“In fact – the opposition continues its examination – exactly the same in 2022 Asd Club Italia Events Association, on the recommendation of the then Sports Department, organized the same initiative, in the same place, always on Lungomare della Salute. The only big difference is given by the fact that the administration led by us had given the OK to the sporting event for a sum of 4 thousand euroswhile today, practically, for a very similar program of sporting and cultural events, a contribution of 55,510 euros was granted, VAT included”.
Therefore, in addition to highlighting the extremely “increased” costs for a program of events in the same place, the opposition continues, casting more than a few shadows on the ways in which this year’s event was approved and organised: “If that wasn’t enough, steps were taken to award the sports village a simple approval of a specific manager concerning the launch of a market investigation aimed at carrying out the service of creating the sports village, through direct assignment pursuant to art. 50 of Legislative Decree 36/2023″.
Going into specifics, the following is underlined: “In the text of the notice, reserved for economic operators and third sector entities registered with Mepa, published for a short term, permitted by law, the administration specified that since it was a preliminary market consultation, participation would not constitute proof of possession of the general requirements for the award, defining everything as a simple exploratory act without constraints for the City of Fiumicino. Participating, probably just by chance, was exclusively the ASD Club Italia Eventi which at this point has been awarded, with determination to negotiate, the organization of the event, through the presentation of a preliminary project, at least from the documents in publication, where only sporting initiatives are indicated which should take place for a month at the seafront, without particular technical or safety specifications necessary for the installation of such temporary structures e if the costs for water and electricity utilities are borne by the same organization”.
The majority’s protesters continue to emphasize the disproportion of organizational costs compared to the previous management: “Our Administration with just 4 thousand euros he financed the creation of a single event while the entire organization of the sports arena, including expenses relating to the assembly, guarding, maintenance and responsibility of the structures andare entirely at the expense of the aforementioned sports association, who proposed a calendar of events very similar to today’s, with documentable acts”.
In essence, Mayor Baccini’s opponents criticize him for not having created anything new and for managing it in a dismaying way: “We have doubts about the bureaucratic and administrative management of the entire organization, this administration led by Mayor Baccini is unable to create anything new, copying from scratch what was done previously, and differing only in the amount of public money that is invested in such extemporaneous projects”.
The Majority’s Response
On the subject, the majority’s response did not take long to arrive, with Federica Poggio, councilor for sport and tourism of the municipality of Fiumicino, replying with these words to the opposition councilors: “There was no waste on the ‘Sport Village’, for a simple reason: we are talking about two completely different events, which have nothing to do with each other. Councilor Calicchio was not a ‘phenomenon’ two summers ago. We are not ‘browns’ today”.
What councilor Federica Poggio wants to highlight is the diversity of the two events, from all points of view: “Compared to two years ago, the arena will be active day and night, with a longer, more substantial and fascinating sports programme. There will be turrets, lights, two stages that will host artists and singers, a musical and entertainment offering that didn’t exist two summers ago and it had not been taken into consideration. There will be a big screen on which, among others, we will broadcast the matches of the Italian national team. Sky, partner of the initiative, will be there with national live broadcasts which will bring positive publicity to our territory.”
For these reasons, councilor Poggio confirms that, inevitably, organizational costs have increased significantly: “Yes, I confirm, our event will cost more than councilor Calicchio’s 4 thousand euros. However, comparing them would be like comparing a Panda to an Alfa Romeo. Both excellent, both produced by the same parent company, but with obvious differences in performance and therefore costs. Calicchio and the other opposition councilors instead of starting yet another senseless ‘cagnara’ they could have at least first inquired with the association that is organizing the event on behalf of the administration. Because it is the same one that the former councilor involved. He should know her well.”
This administration has been criticized for not having carried forward the ideas of the previous one. With the ‘sport village’ we not only continue the path inaugurated two years ago, but we improve and elevate it. And, I underline it again, involving the same association that they had called. Better than this.
In conclusion, the councilor for sport and tourism of the municipality of Fiumicino asks for at least a little patience to see, in the end, whether these high costs will have positive repercussions on the airport municipality: “Now it’s okay to preemptively criticize for the sake of criticizing – concludes Federica Poggio – The role of the opposition is fine. But finding something murky in this too really seems like a slap in the face to intelligence. And at least, before giving such a negative judgment, they waited to see these events.”
Right in the setting of the Sport Village of Fiumicino, on 15 and 16 June there will be some great beach soccer national teams competing in a mini tournament of great media attention.
The main dish will be there “rematch” of the last world final between Italy and Brazil: it’s shaping up a truly hot re-edition of the last beach soccer world championship match.
Moving on in nearby OstiaIn this period, another controversy that keeps citizens in suspense is the related one to the long-awaited Ferris wheel in Lido.
If you want to delve deeper into these topics, click on the orange colored keywords and read the articles recently published on our information website, www.canaledieci.it
