Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis believes the football season should run from April to October: ‘Why play in winter with snow, rain, hail?’ The Partenopei president spoke at length with newspaper La Repubblica about a range of topics, including his desire to sign more international players to make Napoli a more globally appealing prospect as well as the need to construct modern stadiums and potentially change the scheduling of the Serie A season:
“We have a very big problem with stadiums: with a few rare exceptions, they are obsolete, the game’s aren’t easy to watch, there is an athletic track, like in Naples or Rome. Also, do we want to bring families there? Do we want to make it so that at the stadium they can stay all day having fun, eating? I would hold weddings and first communions at the stadium.”
“Changing the season? Why play in winter with snow, rain, hail? Couldn’t we start all over Europe on April 1? This is not an April Fool’s joke, but a necessity. In 7 months until October, national championships and European Cups could be played. From November to March there are 5 months left for footballers to rest, go on retreat, play with national teams. If I have African footballers, why should I deprive myself of them in January for the African Cup of Nations? UEFA and FIFA are absent because of self-centeredness and selfishness.”
