Mayor of Serres: “The stadium has a static deficiency, not a state of readiness”

The mayor of the city went on to point out that the stadium in Serres is not ready but has a static deficiency in his statements to Metrosport.

“Let’s explain some things so they don’t get confused. The study has been commissioned. The process started last year and has two stages. One is the laboratory measurements and the other is the static adequacy study on a field that has never been done before. As I think in any stadium in Greece”Alexandros Chrysafis reported – initially – and continued:

“The study was done not because some problems occurred, but because some interventions had to be made from the funding we had from the Ministry of Infrastructure. It was delivered at the end of August to the technical service, in urban planning, we were waiting for him to evaluate this study and decide what we should do. It is over 1,000 pages. In the first part of the study, with the measurements, specific measures were taken to make the stadium work. We got them, it worked fine and we were on hold. The response from urban planning came on 10/18 and speaks of a static deficiency, not of dangerous readiness, it’s one thing and another. If we measure all the facilities in Greece, 90% will be found to have a static deficiency”



Then the mayor of Serres said:

“Immediately after the decision, on 19/10, by my order, measures were taken to close two stands. Whether the stadium is closed is a matter for the eligibility committee. We will have to move with the legislation. We have sent the report to the relevant department. The delay for the delivery of the study is evaluated, it is a complex study. The delay is not my issue, obviously such matters take priority.”



Regarding the cost that had been spent on the work on the stadium which according to information amounted to 2.5 million he said:

“We had said two million. One strand concerns funding from the Ministry of Infrastructure for seating and lighting, works that have nothing to do with static adequacy, and for the rest of the projects that require a building permit, resources were committed by the Municipality to start after the exhibition. Work has also been done to get the stadium a license for the Super League.”



Finally, he pointed out the school that is next to the stadium…

“The school will be closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for security personnel to enter the area. Yesterday it worked normally, not telelearning. There has been a lot of concern about the pitch as presented, while it is not ready. If they told me about my house that it has a static deficiency but you have to do this and that I would do it, if it said you shouldn’t live in it I wouldn’t stay. We complied. The money has been pledged by the Municipality for the work. The stadium can operate with the two horseshoes and the eastern stand only with the press boxes. With these conditions we think it can work and work will be done on the two stands at the same time. It is a lot of money and in order to start the tendering procedures, in Greece they need time”.