On 20 July I announced that I would make a statement on the status of the new training ground in Bagno a Ripoli after the match between Inter and Fiorentina. Since then, the Superintendence, Fiorentina management, administrators from the Tuscany region, representatives of the Metropolitan City and the Municipality of Bagno a Ripoli, Fiorentina’s technical consultants and architects have scheduled a meeting for Friday 24 July to settle the matters raised by the Superintendence.

As announced by the Superintendence in this morning’s press release, I am very hopeful that this meeting will be productive and can set out a clear path forward to build what will be not only the first club-owned training ground in Fiorentina history – a home for hundreds of staff members and players, men and women, boys and girls – but also, in my view at least, the finest and biggest training ground in Italy and perhaps all of Europe.

Furthermore, it is important that the solution to these matters bears in mind the roles of all parties involved, with each fulfilling their duties and taking responsibility for their own roles regarding landscape, environment, volumes, intended uses and so on.
 
Personally, I have always stated my goals very clearly: certain timeframes regarding the start and the end of the construction phase, reasonable costs, and the fact that the proposed project should maintain the main components needed to ensure the future success of the training ground, including the pitches and the parking areas.

I am very happy for the citizens of Florence and those in Bagno a Ripoli in particular, who, having witnessed this magnificent area we have chosen for our training ground (we agree with the Superintendence about the beauty of the area) fall into decline and be abandoned by all for years, can now finally see great interest being shown in enhancing its features.

After years of abandonment, which saw the area turned into a waste disposal site and the historic villa ruined by squatters, at last, thanks to Fiorentina, they will be able to enjoy it in all its beauty once again.
 
Finally, should Fiorentina make no progress in this meeting, I will release another statement to the Viola Family outlining the action I intend to take with regard to both the training ground and the possible stadium in Campo di Marte.

Published: Thu, 23 Jul 2020 14:31:00 +0200

Source: Fiorentina Official website en.violachannel.tv