Baldissoni: There is a collective responsibility to build the stadium

On Wednesday morning a senior member of Rome’s city government was detained on charges of impropriety – although the prosecutor in charge of the case, Paolo Ielo, was quick to underline once again that AS Roma, and the club's stadium project, are not under any suspicion.

With the process continuing on Stadio della Roma and final approvals moving closer, Baldissoni answered a couple of questions on the situation – insisting that the club has done everything required of it to complete the planning process in accordance with the law, and that there is now a ‘collective responsibility’ to ensure the approval phase is successfully closed soon.

Here's what Baldissoni had to say...

A confusing morning. But prosecutor Ielo’s comments seem to be a point in the club’s favour…

“It’s always sad to learn about news like this as a citizen, but we are not surprised by Ielo’s words. The Stadio della Roma project is a huge and complex undertaking, but it has been approved by every administration and nobody found any discrepancies with it. The Conferenza dei Servizi was completed 15 months ago, so it is hard to imagine that anyone is only now uncovering some issues – and in reality they are not, as prosecutor Ielo has confirmed today. There should not be any doubts about Stadio della Roma.

"It is an approval the club has already secured, to continue with as soon as possible. If there has been evidence of possible corruption then of course we are very disappointed; we hope that those who have been accused are able to prove their innocence – and if they are found to have done wrong then they should pay the consequences.

"But there is also a collective responsibility, on the part of those who run the city, that we make sure this process is approved and concluded. Also because an investment like this, of more than a billion euros, should be a priority for the city and the country.”

Are you worried about another delay?

“No, and there is no reason for that from a judicial standpoint. We have worked hard, along with the Roma Comune, dedicating a lot of time and energy to complete the final details required to reach the final urban variation vote. We have made it known in recent days that a few weeks should be enough for us to complete all the outstanding planning procedures required – and still expect that to happen. We have been working with the Comune to complete everything required to close the final documentation before the end of April.”

Has club president Jim Pallotta ever thought about giving up?

“Jim is a successful businessman and investor and he has shown that throughout his life. He is used to weighing up the pros and cons of every initiative, but I must say that what he has had to deal with in Rome has probably gone beyond even what he anticipated. I think as citizens we need to thank him for his commitment to this process: he has always maintained his belief in the potential of this country and this city in particular.

"From this perspective, as well, we have a responsibility to help an individual who is ready and willing to invest in Roma like this. So even if, at times, he weighs things up when it is taking so long to move forward with a project like this – ultimately he has decided to see it through to the end and, as I said before, we have a responsibility to help him and all those who have decided to invest in this city."