Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has hailed the organisation of the 2026 World Cup in the United States while urging sweeping reforms to Italian football, including reducing Serie A to 16 teams and overhauling stadium infrastructure regulations.
The film producer and club owner, who maintains a residence in Los Angeles, has been attending matches during the tournament and told Gazzetta dello Sport that the American model offers valuable lessons for Serie A. “It’s incredible. Despite the very high prices, the stadiums, even those with 70,000 seats, are always packed, even on weekdays,” he said. “The message we can take from this is that, even in America, what they call ‘soccer’ here can become something truly important.”
De Laurentiis attended Switzerland’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at SoFi Stadium to honour his wife Jacqueline’s nation, and also watched Belgium face Iran to support Napoli stars Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.
Radical restructuring proposals
The Napoli owner argued that Italian football must decide whether it operates as a “sports and entertainment industry” or merely a sport, insisting that the former requires better cost-revenue balance and modern facilities. He called for government financial assistance, noting that “football mobilises 28 million voters,” and demanded the abolition of regulations that slow stadium construction.
De Laurentiis specifically advocated reducing Serie A from its current 20 teams to 16, a change he believes would slash the fixture calendar from 380 matches to 240. “There would be two months available at the end of the season to truly prepare a national team worthy of competing at the highest levels,” he explained. The proposal follows Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive tournament.
He suggested placing a “super-commissioner” in charge of stadium projects to prevent municipal and bureaucratic delays, describing existing Italian grounds as “too old, obsolete.”
Napoli ownership and governance
De Laurentiis confirmed he has rejected multiple offers to sell Napoli since 2017, stating: “From 2017 to today, I have received several expressions of interest for Napoli and have turned down billions.” He insisted the club “will remain where it belongs: at the top,” and revealed that his immediate priorities include securing a club-owned stadium and constructing a new training centre.
Regarding the upcoming FIGC presidential elections, De Laurentiis endorsed Giovanni Malagò to succeed Gabriele Gravina. “I am sure that [Giovanni] Malagò will be the right person in the right place and will also be able to solve the various problems affecting Serie A, as well as find solutions for the Azzurri,” he said.