Inter CEO Beppe Marotta has warned that clubs cannot afford to have limited capacity crowds indefinitely and pushed for more discussions on the return of fans.
Clubs have been playing behind closed doors for the most part since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, although the Italian government announced that vaccinated fans will be able to return this season, up to a capacity of 50% initially.
However, because of the structures of most stadiums in Italy, it is believed that only Juventus’ Allianz Stadium will reach his figure, with the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza likely to only hold 33% of it’s capacity.
“It would be useful to eliminate the distance between one place and another, keeping the Green Space mandatory, which at the moment represents the maximum protection for everyone,” Marotta declared in an interview with ANSA, and as reported by FCInter1908.it.
“With the distancing measure, the capacity, foreseen at 50%, would be reduced to 25-30%. This situation would cause considerable damage to the club’s coffers.
“While appreciating the decision on the reopening, we must try to work together to make the stadiums safer and more liveable, without losing sight of income,” he concluded.
Inter begin the defence of their Serie A title with the visit of Genoa to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on 21 August. With the current restrictions, the Nerazzurri would be limited to a crowd of around 24,000 fans.
