«No social redemption but now the city of Naples must also win its championship»- Corriere TV

of Nino Luca, sent to Naples. Filming by Agtw / CorriereTv

Mayor Manfredi, have you slept very little these days?
“If it can say very little, though, it was worth it. A great party but also a great responsibility because there were hundreds of thousands of people on the street and everything went well. People are happy. I think Naples has given a good demonstration of itself».
But how did someone born in Ottaviano become a Juventus player?
«I was born in Ottaviano, but I’m from Nola and the team’s colors are black and white and therefore I associated it. My father was part of the team’s management, I’ve been on many pitches and therefore there has always been this affinity of shirt colors».
And now he is in love with Naples.
«I haven’t been a very avid football fan but this experience of living the Scudetto as mayor really fills me with joy, pride and great passion. Being in love with Naples, one cannot fail to be in love with Naples as well. It is a winning, young, multicultural Naples: therefore a perfect photograph of the Naples in which I believe». Did Juve’s congratulatory tweet annoy you with that pinch of sarcasm?
«I was used to Gianni Agnelli’s style. I don’t find myself in this behavior in recent years. It does no credit to his story. I think this way of acting doesn’t please Juventus fans either. Instead, compliments have arrived from some ministers, I know Salvini is happy and I appreciated Silvio Berlusconi’s message, I confirm that he is a Neapolitan born in Milan ».
You must have heard many times these days the quote from New York Times: «Naples is no longer a city with a football team, but it is a football team with a city attached».
«I believe that Naples is a big city, it is the largest city in the South and it is the biggest brand that exists globally today. Looking at the theatre, the music, the cinema, the culture, the research, the innovation that is born in this city. The football team fits perfectly into this rebirth of Naples, which is a winning team, managed very well. It is the one that has the best balance sheet in all of Serie A. So compared to a narrative that has made us a little tired and that is of a city incapable of managing, of reckoning, of looking to the future and incapable of being competitive, this of the team was the best answer. A city that brings together talent and organization and there is none for anyone».
De Laurentiis was good, I imagine it’s more difficult for her. You find yourself 5 billion in debt. Now the money from the Pnrr will arrive, then the aid from the state.
«It’s more difficult for me, I inherited a city in great difficulty from an administrative and financial point of view. But we are already seeing the first results. The first balance sheet I closed improved significantly. Now let’s tell the truth, the real championship must be won by Naples, which must demonstrate that it is a well-administered city, very competitive and capable of representing the South and Italy well”.
On his Whatsapp profile De Laurentis wrote that he has run out of free coupons. You have to pay for the tickets. The Municipality in 2020 lacked half a billion in tax revenue. How can I say “paid?”».
«The first data tell us that revenues have improved. We have completely reorganized the collection, hired skills that are up to the challenge, we have changed all the management with high quality people. Let’s do what I’ve always believed we should do: good governance, skills, capabilities. If we then look outside Naples, there are Neapolitans who have government, administration and business responsibilities at the highest level all over the world. A sign that being Neapolitan also means being competitive».
You have somewhat contradictory numbers. There are 3.7 million tourists a year in Naples. And then, however, there is unemployment at 21%.
«We suffer from the lack of planning of the past. There is a big miss-match between the demand for labor that comes from companies and the supply that is not suited to existing needs. Naples must restart from work. And it’s already happening. Some neighborhoods that were unusable until a few years ago, think of Sanità, Quartieri Spagnoli, but also Scampia, are becoming an example of a business. An example of work with many youth cooperatives that work precisely on the tourist attraction. This creates jobs, more democratic participation, more legality. The results are showing.”
We have told Naples live these days, from Largo Maradona for example. The fans approached the microphone and defined this victory as a “social redemption”.
«More than a risk rather than a social redemption. I would speak of awareness of our possibilities. Naples is an extremely competitive city, described for too many years as a losing city. And this has made many suffer. It made me suffer too. When I was Rector, together with my colleagues, we led our university to be one of the best in international rankings. We worked with quality, with commitment, focusing on the merit and talent of the many who came from outside to lend us a hand. We are tired of being considered incapable of doing, because this is the result of a stereotype that has often penalized us. Today I believe that thanks to this victory we have a further awareness that you can win in Naples».
Naples has managed to overcome the stereotype of a city that is only pizza and mandolin. But we must also go beyond Gomorrah. on the evening of the party the Camorra killed.
«Certainly we still have the presence of organized crime, which is no longer as invasive as it once was, but it still exists, especially in some neighbourhoods. We are working on security. We must not let our guard down against the Camorra, but in addition to repression, the only way to defeat it is to give work to our young people and give them responsibilities. And we are seeing this in Healthcare, in the Spanish Quarters, in Forcella. Before they were places where the Camorra dominated, now the state dominates. It’s a very important message.”
Being mayor is difficult.
«It is very tiring, but if a result is achieved, the satisfaction is double».