Dario Mirri has been the president of Palermo since 2019, but even before that he has been one of its most genuine supporters. The grandson of Renzo Barbera, the historic president after whom the city’s stadium is now named, Mirri has inherited a legacy that is both emotional and entrepreneurial, seeking to combine identity and development in one of the most complex and fascinating markets in Italian football.Since taking charge of the rosanero club, Mirri has guided Palermo through a process of rebuilding from the ground up, moving through the lower divisions to a stable return to Serie B, with the stated goal of bringing the team back to top-level football. A journey that intertwines with the entry in 2022 of the City Football Group (which currently holds 94.95% of the club, while Mirri’s Hera Hora owns 5% and the Amici rosanero fans hold 0.05%), with whom the club is building a more solid structure both on and off the pitch.In this interview with Calcio e Finanza, Mirri outlines the long-term vision of Palermo, the economic outlook between Serie B and Serie A, the role of international ownership, the plans for the stadium ahead of EURO 2032, and the broader challenges facing the Italian football system, including infrastructure, the youth sector, and financial sustainability.Question. President, the season is coming to an end and you are in the race for promotion. How does the scenario change between Serie A and Serie B?Answer. «The project is long-term, it cannot be conditioned by a sporting result. We have been working for years to reach this goal because the fans have already been in Serie A for some time; Palermo fans have never been in Serie D, let alone in Serie C, and they are not Serie B fans. The project changes insofar as we accelerate toward the company objectives that have been clear from the beginning, namely bringing Palermo back where it belongs. The numbers obviously change, the outlook changes, the ambitions change. Serie B is an extremely complicated league, both from a technical standpoint and from a financial standpoint. We have the dream and the ambition to reach Serie A and, above all, to stay there with targeted investments. That is the goal. In the top division, ticketing figures change, merchandising changes, sponsorships change, television rights change, and player values change. At this moment we are building from the foundations what we hope will one day be a penthouse with a beautiful sea view».Q. In economic terms, Palermo has nothing to envy anyone. It is the fifth-largest city in Italy, the capital of one of the most populous regions, the western part of Sicily is rosanero, and above all there is a significant fan base as well as a very important ownership like the City Football Group, which also includes Manchester City. How much has this changed the overall scenario?A. «Palermo is a capital city, it has a millennia-old history and the size, strength, and ambition to reaffirm itself as the capital of the Mediterranean. The help we are receiving from the City Football Group goes exactly in this direction; we are working to achieve the set objectives. The City Football Group represents a world of expertise, especially know-how, and that is the help we receive day after day. And that, in my opinion, in the medium to long term, will make the difference. Palermo is a city where we struggle to conjugate verbs in the future tense. In the Palermo dialect, the future does not exist. Well, I must say that the story of this Palermo is the story of a solid future, to be pursued together with a strength that is obviously economic but also based on expertise».Il presidente del Palermo Dario Mirri (Foto Tullio Puglia via Palermo Calcio)Q. Many times, even in large southern cities, there is a tendency to support the big northern teams. However, I visited the Renzo Barbera stadium, I saw the Palermo Museum, I saw school groups invited to visit it—a museum that links Palermo FC to the city of Palermo. It seems to me there is an attempt to build loyalty among younger generations, who will be the fans of the future.A. «First of all, I am a fan, then I have the honor of being president of Palermo. I strongly believe in the value of fans. We are all just passing through; the only ones who remain are the fans. That is a fact, and the value of a club is determined by its fans. When I said we are building the foundations to reach the highest possible level, we are also and above all working on this, because the future is in the hands of young people. If young people in Palermo support Juventus and Inter, it would be difficult to make Palermo what we want it to become. We are working on many initiatives; the museum was established at a difficult time during Covid. It was one of those cornerstones we wanted to build, just as we are working on a very strong communication strategy. Communication is not a detail; it is a fundamental element of a modern club. Because if you communicate well, as the people at Palermo do, you create community but also revenue, which is naturally the ambition of any club».City Football Group, autonomy and identity: the Palermo modelQ. Palermo lacks nothing. A beautiful city, rich in a powerful history, recognized abroad. It has iconic colors, a wonderful landscape, so truly nothing is missing. Now it has a very structured ownership from a sporting standpoint. If you were to discover the next Dybala or Cavani, how does the agreement with City work?A. «There is no absolute policy. I’ll give the example of Girona, which played in the Champions League. The group gives local autonomy to clubs with respect to their territories; in Manchester they know very well that each territory is different from another. Bahia is different from Palermo, for example. There is great respect for territory, identity, and history, and at the same time great support and help also from a technical standpoint, which is what interests fans the most. There is no established mechanism that Palermo must adapt to. Everything is evaluated based on the player and their potential adaptability to a market. In these four years, not many players have arrived in Palermo from the group. It is true that Serie B imposes limits on non-EU players, but in reality, even from European teams within the group, no players have arrived, because each team manages its own market. I knew it from day one, I had no doubts. Great help, great support, but above all great respect».Q. How does the interface with Manchester work? Is there constant dialogue between managers?A. «There is dialogue, comparison, and mutual training in all areas. We obviously transfer information about what happens here. Returning to the theme of support, comparison is useful for the possible replicability of certain issues that may have been solved brilliantly in a different context from Palermo. This experience helps create solutions to problems».Q. As an entrepreneur, how did the city respond to the arrival of the English owners?A. «Palermo has always been a welcoming city; the English ownership refers to Abu Dhabi, and that world was welcomed with open arms hundreds of years ago, just as the Angevins, the Spanish, and the Normans were always welcomed. This has always been a land of hospitality; we are like this, we like to show how beautiful this land is and share it. Palermo identifies itself with Palermo; the iconic colors are unique. It may happen that someone supports Milan, Inter, or Juventus, but those same people then tell you they also support Palermo; I reply that I am monogamous and not interested in other relationships. I dream that Palermitans, the young people of the future, have these same principles. For me, you belong to one family only, the rosanero one. The rest does not exist. The city is participating with extraordinary and incredible cohesion with the team; we are very happy about this involvement».Ufficiale, Populous al lavoro con il Palermo per la realizzazione del nuovo BarberaLo studio di architettura lavorerà con il club rosanero al restyling dell’impianto, tra quelli in corsa per ospitare gli Europei del 2032.From the Barbera to a new revenue model: the turning point starts with the stadiumQ. On the stadium, I see a strong push toward revenue channels such as Sky boxes. Italy in general is behind. You are in the running to be one of the five Italian venues for EURO 2032. What is the political situation?A. «Here in this stadium, right in this place, I held my first press conference in July 2019 and said something I can only confirm. Palermo will not leave this church, without being blasphemous. Because for us fans, those of us who have faith, this is like a Catholic church that we keep open every day so that fans can enter their church. It is a historic church, with a unique panorama in the world because there is a stadium with this natural amphitheater like Monte Pellegrino, but it is a stadium that necessarily needs renovation. In the 1990s my uncle Renzo Barbera oversaw the renovation. For us, for our family, for Palermo fans, this stadium is irreplaceable. I said it in 2019, but it clearly requires major upgrading. In 1990 Egypt, Ireland, and the Netherlands came to play in Palermo. It was an extraordinary celebration; I remember very well the magnitude of such an event».«The previous ownership carried out limited work on the stadium; since CFG arrived, we have been making investments also to support safety. In four years we have invested more than €9 million just to keep the stadium open. And this is an issue on which the municipal institutions (since the owner is the municipality) know very well that without a radical intervention, this stadium is destined to close. It is terrible to say, but it is true. And if in these four years we had not carried out these works together with the municipal administration, the stadium would already be closed. Clearly, this renovation depends on an unmissable opportunity such as EURO 2032, with everything that entails. And of course, we are ready to play our part».Q. What are the next steps? There is talk of five venues: Milan, Turin, Rome, probably Florence, and one in the south. You are competing with Naples—what is the situation?A. «In October 2025 we began to assess the feasibility of a renovation. We examined four different alternatives, submitted them in February to a preliminary services conference, which concluded on March 11 with a favorable opinion. We therefore shared a choice, which is to renovate the Barbera. The city council expressed itself with rare unanimity, approving a motion inviting the entire municipal administration to make every possible effort in this direction. This gives credit to those who worked on the project and to the city council, which analyzed it beyond political interests because no one here is against it. We are all on the same side, although everyone has their own opinions, but I believe the feasibility project has found consensus. We also went to Switzerland, to UEFA headquarters, to present our idea of the new stadium and reaffirm our commitment, receiving great appreciation for the work we are doing».Lo stadio Renzo Barbera di Palermo (Foto: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)«At this point, with the designers, we are working on the technical-economic feasibility project, which we will soon submit to the Municipality of Palermo. In May we will present the document; by mid-July the municipality must grant the authorizations. “Must” not because I want to be presumptuous, but because if we want to take part in EURO 2032 there is a UEFA timeline: by July 15, stadiums must have a final services conference approving the project. By July 30 the project must be submitted to the FIGC. Then in September 2026 the FIGC will indicate the five stadiums. Logic suggests a European Championship in Italy without Rome and Milan is hard to imagine. Turin already has a ready stadium, Florence has been working for years. We cannot cut Italy at Rome; that is unthinkable. Naples is another southern capital, alongside Cagliari and Salerno. We want to compete to represent the South. We believe we have everything needed to do so».Q. Have you spoken with your counterpart De Laurentiis about this? You have already contacted a major architecture firm, Populous. How much would this help the club’s finances and competitiveness?A. «I have not spoken with Aurelio De Laurentiis. Naples is making its own evaluations; I cannot comment on what I do not know. I am optimistic because in Palermo there is strong convergence on the stadium that transcends political interests. It is a complicated process, in which the goal is also to move in coordination with law enforcement representatives. Everyone is involved, and we all know we have this timeline; we are working toward it. How do the finances change with a new stadium? I read Calcio e Finanza, so I know how it changes for a football club. We also believe a modern stadium can welcome fans and increase the average time spent there. This means the stadium experience expands in economic terms».«We already generate extraordinary numbers: nearly €9 million in ticketing in Serie B, coming from a very difficult sporting season last year. Fans continue to show up; this year we average 28,000 spectators per match. We are eighth in Italy for average attendance, so it is as if we were between Europa League and Conference League positions in Serie A. On our social channels we generate over 52 million views per month; we are among the top in Italy here as well. Fans are already at that level; we must be good enough to reach that objective. A new stadium is primarily an extraordinary tool for urban regeneration for the city. Experts estimate up to €1 billion in economic benefits for the entire city, its businesses, the whole social and commercial fabric, the entire ecosystem».«An extraordinary opportunity for a city that needs development opportunities. For the club, it is a tool to increase revenue. It is an investment aimed at enhancing and finding new revenue streams. I do not want to sound arrogant, but television rights have been declining in recent years. Maybe they will change, but in the meantime we must find new revenues, like the English clubs do. Already today we have a balance sheet that is, in some ways, more “English”: €9 million from ticketing, €9 million from commercial revenue, and a bit less than €4 million from TV rights. We are very focused on developing other revenues and not waiting».Q. In many modern stadiums I have seen, revenue growth comes mainly from hospitality aimed at wealthier fans. I would like to reassure fans in the more popular sections that ticket prices will not rise significantly for them.A. «Populous is giving us enormous support, thanks to its extraordinary experience in stadium construction. The idea is to bring spectators closer to the pitch, so from that point of view the experience will improve ticketing. Then supply and demand determine the price. Clearly, there will be premium hospitality sectors that, as already today, have more expensive tickets. There will be the curves, what we call the popular sections, which will obviously have a corresponding ticket price. In this respect, we refer to the experiences of other Serie A clubs similar to ours».ANALISIGoverno vs Lega sulla FIGC: come la Serie A finanzia la gran parte dello sport italianoDietro lo scontro sulla FIGC c’è una posta ben più ampia: il calcio sostiene l’equilibrio economico di quasi l’intero sistema sportivo italiano.Between governance and youth development: the levers to revive Italian footballQ. On June 22 there will be a vote for the new FIGC president. What is the situation? What does Italian football need overall?A. «It is clear that Italian football needs a change of pace, and much depends on what happens on June 22 and who will be delegated to represent the FIGC. I will say immediately that I am a friend of Gabriele Gravina and I believe he resigned with his usual dignity. That is right, but I do not think he is the only one to blame. In my opinion the solution is deeper; a new president will come who must represent a change of pace. Among the topics of discussion are youth development and Italian versus foreign players. We must go to the root because there are no longer children who become passionate about football and watch a 90-minute match; they turn to other sports. They look at their phones and do not come to the stadium. We must start from there to then have more Italian players in the future. The intervention must be structural and cultural, starting from the foundations. It will take time, but with a medium- to long-term strategy we will return to the World Cup. But we cannot think the opposite—that qualifying for the World Cup will solve our problems».Q. Do you invest in the youth sector?A. «The growth of the youth sector depends on the growth of infrastructure. Two years ago we inaugurated the training center, a project that originated in the past when we identified the land. The City Football Group, upon arrival, was the first to finance it, and thus the project started, providing the first team with the foundations to grow. We know Sicily is a large territory and that very few Sicilians play in Serie A. This shows it is not possible that out of five million Sicilians no one can play football; it is more likely that without facilities, players cannot reach Serie A. Then there is a cultural issue. We are working on all fronts regarding the stadium because there is a timeline to enter EURO 2032, but certainly the youth sector is an element we want to develop».Q. What do you think about proposals to introduce fiscal mechanisms to favor the hiring of Italian players?A. «I have little faith in external inducements in the market. I do not think helping financially those who buy Italian players instead of foreign ones is the best way to find a solution. That only distorts the market. We are part of the European Union; there are rules to respect. If more foreigners are bought today, it is because they have a more favorable price. There are factors that inflate the value of Italian players. If Como buys foreign players, it is because they are better than Italian ones; the same applies to Udinese. Clubs must be free to evaluate; we cannot force them to make decisions against merit».Q. Beppe Riso mentioned a cultural issue: foreign players are easier to resell abroad, while Italians tend to stay in Italy. Have you observed this?A. «Data confirms that players with more market demand are those from Northern Europe, probably because they adapt better. Riso is right; it is a cultural issue. In our youth sector, parents follow their children as if they were world champions, and I am not sure that helps. In Northern Europe, this excessive emotional involvement likely does not happen. Young players then believe they are Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, and when they are not, they struggle. We Italians have this culture: we protect and support children. It is an important issue to address. Argentine players, for example, are often more ready because they have already experienced living away from home and can adapt more easily».Il calcio italiano vola in Australia: Inter, Milan, Juve e Palermo a Perth nell’estate 2026L’Australia Occidentale accoglierà in estate le tre big del calcio italiano e i rosanero: tra le sfide, in programma il derby di Milano e il derby d’Italia.From Australia to Palermo: the club between global reach and local rootsQ. This summer you will go on tour in Australia with Palermo, Inter, Milan, and Juventus. That is a major recognition.A. «Very much so. International football, speaking of Australia, welcomes Palermo as the fourth representative of the biggest Italian teams. It was not obvious. We will play in Perth; we hope many Sicilian fans will join us for the match against Juventus on August 11. It is a great satisfaction. Four years ago, when CFG arrived, we could not have imagined Manchester City playing here in Palermo, as happened in August 2025, nor going to Australia in 2026. We are invited because we represent a territory, the South of Italy».Q. In the museum I saw many Palermo shirts donated by Sicilians around the world. Do you feel that affection?A. «Away from home, our ultras follow us with great sacrifice, sometimes traveling by train or waiting for us at four in the morning. This recently happened after the draw in Frosinone. It is an additional responsibility for the players. Wherever we go, Sicilians welcome us; the same will happen in Australia. Palermo is a social and cultural value, a sense of belonging. Community creates community».Q. Years ago, for a commemorative match, many champions returned to Palermo, like Toni, Ilicic, and Miccoli.A. «My uncle Renzo used to say that in the 1970s it was hard to convince players to come to Palermo. They cried to come, then cried again when leaving. Pastore recently told me Palermo was his most beautiful experience. Ilicic, seven years ago, asked to come back to play that match».Q. Atalanta, coached by Gasperini, another former Palermo figure.A. «Gasperini played under my uncle. There is a strong emotional bond with Sicily. Results on the pitch can be random; we work to make them less so. Whatever happens this season, we will never give up».Q. You also said that in the long term, results reflect the organization behind the scenes.A. «That is something I have learned over the years».