Zanzi: How new stadium will impact club on and off the pitch

Juventus have benefited enormously from owning their own stadium. Do you envisage Stadio della Roma having a similar impact on AS Roma?

“We have a lot of respect for Juventus's stadium - it is not only an impressive facility but also serves to reinforce that stadium development is possible in Italy. The on-field competitive benefits they enjoy are clear when you watch a match in the new facility.

“We, of course, are focused on making our new stadium as impactful ‎as possible in every respect. We are very confident the new stadium will provide us the maximum ‘home field advantage’ in addition to giving our fans the best experience in football.”

In a world of Financial Fair Play, how important is it that AS Roma are able to generate more revenues from match days to compete with the biggest clubs in Europe?

“The revenue generation associated with the new stadium is clearly very important. ‎The lift in commercial revenue will no doubt give us even more resources to continue to build the best team possible.”

What will Stadio della Roma allow the club to do that’s not possible in the Stadio Olimpico?

“Our club continues to enjoy our current home, the Stadio Olimpico. However, the new stadiu‎m will provide a unique and fundamentally improved environment in all areas. First, the fan experience will be substantially upgraded and in some cases redefined. All areas - security, sightlines, hospitality -will be transformed to provide the best possible experience. The stadium will also give our team the physical resources and atmosphere to have the best chance to win.”

In terms of sending out a statement to the football world, do you believe the plans for Stadio della Roma are testament to the ambitions of AS Roma to compete with the biggest clubs in the world?

“Our ambition is to consistently be among the world's most ‎best clubs. We are focused on achieving that goal as quickly and responsibly as possible. The stadium project is a core part of this process but it is much more important substantively than symbolically.”

The plans for the project include a new state-of-the-art training facility that will overlook the new stadium. Do you think this new environment will help attract the best players to AS Roma?

“The new training facility will certainly be attractive ‎for current and potential players. More importantly, however, we are confident the training center will allow our players and team to reach their maximum potential on the field.”

A lot of attention has been paid to incorporating Roma’s rich history in the design of the new stadium. How important is it that the club honors the past as it looks towards the future?

“Honoring our city and club's special tradition is a fundamental philosophy we integrate in everything we do. The stadium design not only evokes Roma's heritage but also creates a unique platform to honor our tradition through a state-of-the art Hall of Fame and other features.”

How confident are the club that today’s submission will receive the green light and ground can be broken in 2015?

“The stadium approval and planning process‎ is going very well. We do not know yet the exact timing of groundbreaking but the end of 2015 is an achievable objective.”

When do you think AS Roma will play their first game inside the new stadium?

“We anticipate being able to open the stadium during the 2017-18 season. When we decide to play the first match there will likely depend on when during the season it is ready as well as logistical and season calendar considerations.”