'He wants money': Roger Federer at centre of bizarre stadium stoush

Roger Federer has been caught up in a political tussle over a plan to rename his home stadium in his honour.

Fans have been lobbying for years to have St Jakobshalle arena in Federer’s home town of Basel renamed to ‘Roger Federer Arena’.

The stadium hosts the Swiss Indoors event, which Federer has won a record nine times, including in 2018.

Basel-based politician Martina Bernasconi has now joined the petition to change the venue’s name, but has revealed some strange reasons why they’ve received pushback.

When asked by UK publication The Express if she’d received objections from fellow politicians, Bernasconi replied: “Yes, many.

“The main arguments have been that Switzerland and Basel only honour dead people.

“And that Federer is a brand and he wants money.”

Swiss tradition usually restricts the honouring of sporting figures until after they’ve died, but Bernasconi says Federer’s importance to his countrymen is what really matters.

“He is the most popular ambassador of Switzerland,” she said.

“Because he speaks the Basel dialect, people have a high identification with him.

“He was Born in Basel and lived 16 years in this town, visited the school and his first tennis club was Old Boys Basel. He married (wife Mirka) here and his parents live in Basel.

“All over the world, he is well known, so he is really popular, not only as a sportsman.”

‘It would be an absolute, incredible honour’

Federer has previously expressed his gratitude that talks are underway to honour him, pointing to some Aussie legends who have had venues named after them.

“I would be very happy,” Federer told Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger.

“It would be an absolute, incredible honour for me.

“I see what Rod Laver or Roy Emerson means when you have a stadium named after you and you can experience it.”

The push to rename the arena began 12 months ago, but was thwarted by the local council who voted against it.

“It can be a nice gesture later to put such a memorial on for Federer,” Councillor Thomas Gander told The Express last year.

“But today it is still too early. And I’m almost sure he sees it that way.”