“He is round and square at the same time, you have to expect sublime things, with great patience”. Talk like that Aurelio De Laurentiisthe patron of Napoli, while he accompanies the mayor Gaetano Manfredi. 10 am, Piazza Plebiscito: ribbon cutting of the village “Corsa alla cura”.

At the same time the former rector was expected in the sports commission, in the city council, to discuss the stadium. “We have moved the meeting – he explains in Piazza Manfredi – I am busy with Minister Franceschini and then working with the sports club to evaluate the possibilities of intervention on the stadium”.

But even without the mayor, the councilors get together and three elected members of the “Manfredi mayor” group attack De Laurentiis: “If he doesn’t pay what he owes for the stadium, why do we let him play?”. Thus two faces of the same majority are staged at the same time. Meanwhile, at the Plebiscite Manfredi finds himself justifying the increase of him and of the councilors-approved by the budget law in December for all the Municipalities-on which the governor ironized the day before De Luca (“Let them be stoned”): “There is a national that foresees it – says the professor – The current law is less than half that of the governor, a norm equating it and we adapt. With De Luca I continue to have a good relationship”. In Piazza De Laurentiis the assist is needed: “In my opinion, a mayor should never earn less than a CEO of a large company. I believe that Manfredi has no fewer than 15 thousand employees. It should be increased not by a few thousand but by some amount of thousands of euros “.

And on the stadium there is evidence of agreement between the mayor and the patron: “The idea with De Laurentiis is to have a system that is an attraction 7 days a week – underlines Manfredi – Everyone would like to visit a museum linked to Calcio Napoli …”. Yet a few meters away in via Verdi the councilors at that moment are celebrating the trial of the Italian president. In particular, the three of the “Manfredi Mayor” group would like to know from the offices whether the patron has paid off the concession debts. Because at the end of December there were 3.4 million pending, even if the bulk of the figure was linked to the Covid period on which – according to a law – it is possible to sign a transaction. “De Laurentiis must give 3 million and let him play the game?”, Fulvio Fucito, Manfredi’s group leader asks himself: “If he doesn’t want to pay, we’ll give him an injunction”.

The chairman of the commission Gennaro Esposito he explains: “The other day De Laurentiis declared that he has no debts with the Municipality. We will ask the offices. Based on the agreement, the relationship with him is revolted for serious breach”. Luigi Musto also hard, always “Manfredi mayor”: “We as councilors check whether we have paid up to the last tax, I don’t see why those who benefit from a public good even say that they have nothing to pay. The patron must have well It is clear that, if it is true that the mayor represents everyone, those who approve the agreement with Naples in the courtroom are us councilors “. And just in that instant about the tensions of the majority of him, Manfredi cut short: “I am elected to do things, I don’t think it’s time to apply …”.