UEFA Denies Claims of Venue-Change Request for Napoli vs. Liverpool UCL Match
UEFA has denied claims made by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis about a request to change the venue of the UEFA Champions League match between the Partenopei and Liverpool.
On Tuesday, the outspoken De Laurentiis told Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) he had contacted European football's governing body with a request to have the match moved to Bari, saying he would pay for 1,000 buses to move the fans there.
The Times' Paul Joyce checked in with UEFA, however, which denied the contact ever took place:
Speaking to La Repubblica (h/t Football Italia), the mayor of Naples, Luigi De Magistris, also had his say: "I won't speak about De Laurentiis. It's unthinkable that Napoli wouldn't play at the San Paolo, and therefore it'll never happen. This is pure imagination, Napoli will play at the San Paolo."
De Laurentiis has been involved in several feuds for the past few months, including with former manager Maurizio Sarri, per Football Italia. He's also waged a public war on the city of Naples, which owns the club's San Paolo stadium.
In an interview with Radio Kiss Kiss (h/t Football Italia), he referred to the ground as a "toilet" and expressed frustration with the people in charge.
He has now doubled down on his criticism, stating he would rather play European matches in Bari, a city on the opposite side of Italy:
"It's a nightmare, a negative point, and it reduces our international standing to have such a stadium.
"I say 'enough.' I won't create any more controversy and I'll build my own stadium. It'll take two years, no-one can say anything if you put in your own money and have the land to build a stadium.
"If these conditions are in place there could be a very fast acceleration.
"I've asked UEFA for authorisation to play Champions League matches at the San Nicola, I'll spend from my own pocket for 1,000 coaches to allow Neapolitans to attend matches at the San Nicola."
De Laurentiis purchased Bari this summer, a deal that also included the club's stadium, the Stadio San Nicola. The ground can hold almost 60,000 fans and has been regularly used by the national team. Bari themselves dropped down to Serie D this summer, per Football Italia.
ESPN FC's Jonathan Johnson questioned the logistics behind his plan to move fans to Bari by bus, noting plenty of visiting supporters have already purchased tickets:
It would appear they have little to worry about, however, as UEFA maintains no such request was made.
The Reds will travel to Naples on October 3, their second Champions League match of the campaign and first on the road.
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