Stadio Rocco: President Ben Rosenzweig on the pitch situation
This afternoon, President Ben Rosenzweig and CEO Sebastiano Stella spoke to the media in the Stadio Nereo Rocco press room.
“Thank you all for being here, I think you all know why we’re here. As of today, we have not been able to play in our stadium for two consecutive home matches. As a new ownership and club, we have been very patient, seeking collaboration with the Region and the Municipality to find a solution to the pitch problem that everyone witnessed during the match against Trento.
It has been over a month since that evening, and we have not yet seen significant progress or a definite timeline when we’ll be able to return to the stadium. We are therefore extremely frustrated with the situation that has arisen, as we want to be back to the Rocco as soon as possible.
At the moment, there is no consensus between the municipality's agronomists and the individuals we have appointed to inform us as best as possible so that we can report the findings to all stakeholders, fans, players, staff, and the ownership we represent.
We have invested significantly in terms of time, energy, and capital for the seriousness of this project. We have had a clear and transparent relationship and communication with the Region and President Fedriga, which is not the case with the Municipality. We have high expectations for ourselves, ourclub, and our project, and we have high expectations from the Municipality as well.We will do everything possible to work together to go back to our stadium, but we will not jeopardize the long term viability of this project for short-sided political gains.
We are present in the community, and we will be here throughout the Barcolana week, available and excited about the idea of giving everything we can for the city and the success of this project, with transparency.
Regarding the playing field conditions, it is a collaborative process, but we want the facts to speak and guide the decisions, not the other way around.
The stadium has been one of the main reasons for this investment, and if this unavailability persists for long, investors may naturally reconsider the situation. The overall perception is that Italy is a challenging place to invest, especially in infrastructure. For this reason, and with a stadium here that is evident to both the citizens and the municipality, designed and built for football, we thought Trieste could be the right place.
We want to be back as soon as possible, but this decision must be agreed upon by the experts handling this. We have a long-term view, and we cannot sacrifice it for short-term issues.
It is premature to consider acquiring the facility; we have a lease agreement and are in compliance with everything, with a contract that allows us to use the stadium for matches. We are here to make money and win, so we will do everything possible to resolve anything that hinders the goals of our investment.
Lack of expertise in dealing with the issue of restoring the turf? We had nothing more than the same feelings as everyone during the game against Trento, seeing our defender literally lift a piece of turf to put it back in place. Everyone can draw their own conclusions, but everyone saw it, both at the stadium and on Rai TV.
We are not agronomists, so we need to trust those who are experts in the field. Our job is to find the most qualified people in their respective areas of expertise, listen to them, and follow the advice they provide for which they are paid. We have had short-term and long-term feedback on the state of the art of turf restoration, feedback that concerns us and certifies that the work clearly was not done correctly.
As for the concerts, we reiterate that we have an existing contract with the Comune. A written agreement that specifies the use of the stadium to play football, for league matches and any post-season games. These are the facts. When we can play the next home game, we ask as many fans as possible to come and support us, because every fan is important, and every fan who cannot come here is a significant loss for the ownership.
Finally, we want to add that during this period, the team and the staff both cannot play at the Rocco and cannot train at their training ground, the Grezar. They have spent a month on the bus, away from their families. In this challenging situation, they have been warriors, achieving great results, and we thank them for what they are doing”.
