The best stadiums opened in 2017

When someone speaks about stadiums in Italy it is always the same old story: a president announces the will to build a stadium, presents a wonderful and dreamy rendering of the structure but ultimately everything is lost between municipal administration, permits, delays, and tribunals. Italian football has a problem with stadiums: old, dilapidated, poorly equipped and above all not owned by the teams. Excluding Sassuolo, Udinese and obviously Juventus, none of the Serie A clubs have their own stadium, and this entails an endless series of problems, not least the incidence on turnover and the possibility of linking one's name to a winning brand.
In order to inspire presidents, mayors and Federcalcio, we at nss sports have selected the most interesting stadiums that were inaugurated in 2017, all abroad except one.

Wanda Metropolitano - Atletico Madrid

The new Atletico Madrid's home was inaugurated last September for La Liga's game won by the colchoneros against Malaga, thanks to Antoine Griezmann's goal. The stadium has been built on the ashes of a former athletics facility near Barajas airport. It takes its name from a mix of the Wanda Group - the Chinese giant corporation that sponsored the construction - and the name of the Estadio Metropolitano, where Atletico played for 43 years. 67,000 spectators of capacity and a special turf coming from Portugal: it is one of the most futuristic structures in Europe and has already been drawn to host the 2019 Champions League final.

Gaziantep Arena - Gaziantepspor

The new Bursaspor stadium in a crocodile’s shape, the noisy Vodafone Arena in Istanbul, the new home of Trabzonspor dedicated to Şenol Güneş and many more: in the last decade, Turkish football is living an exponential growth period, given that as many as 21 new stadiums were built with strong government financial investments. In January it was Gaziantepspor's turn, which although a serious crisis of results (it has been relegated last summer and it is currently the last in the Turkish second tier) has opened the doors of the new stadium with an over 36 thousand people's capacity. The real gem of the stadium? The external decoration with the typical mosaics of the nearby city of Zeugma.

Orlando City Stadium - Orlando City SC

Designed even before the franchise was born, the Orlando stadium was completed in time for the start of the last MLS season last March. It cost about 155 million dollars, it can accommodate about 25 thousand people and it is located a few blocks away from the Amway Center, a historic building where the Orlando Magic are playing, in the heart of the capital of Florida. Financed entirely by privates, the plant has already hosted a match of the National squad, in October. It can benefit from the prestigious partnerships with Heineken and Panasonic and in section 12 has reserved 49 colored seats in memory of the victims of the November 2016 attack, which stand out against the predominant purple.

Intility Arena - Vålerenga

After 104 years of history on pilgrimages, the main Oslo's club has finally found its own home. The ultra-modern Vålerenga kultur- og idrettspark has been open since last September when it was inaugurated by the Vålerenga women's team. The land where the stadium stands has been sold for the symbolic figure of a Norwegian crown, with the promise of carrying out public works around it: the Valle Hovin skating ice rink is located next to the plant. Served by the metro lines, the structure can hold over 17 thousand spectators (it is the third Norwegian stadium for capacity), while the grass is artificial. For ten years at least it will carry the name of the local club partner company.

Krestovsky Stadium - Zenit St. Petersburg

Inspired by the Toyota Center in Houston, the Japanese architect Kisho Kurosawa designed the new Zenit Stadium in St. Petersburg. Among the installations that will host the 2018 World Cup, most of them are still under construction, the Krestovsky Stadium was the first to be inaugurated, even if with a notable delay. The stadium hosted the Confederations Cup won by Germany last summer. It is located in the Krestovksy islet, in the Neva delta, and is currently among the most expensive stadiums ever built in the world: over 1.1 billion dollars compared to about 250 initially planned. It can hold over 68 thousand spectators. In the shelter of the cold, inside you can always feel about 15 degrees.

Benito Stirpe - Frosinone

After the Allianz Stadium in Turin and the Dacia Arena in Udine, Frosinone is the third Italian club to own a stadium. The Benito Stirpe bears the name of the former president and father of the current owner who he is currently holding the club, Maurizio. The construction was a very slow process, started in 1974 the stadium was inaugurated on September 28 with the game between the hosts and Cremonese, finished 0-0.

Mercedes Benz Stadium - Atlanta United

One of the most interesting stadium in recent years is undoubtedly that related to the plant that will host both the meetings of Atlanta United (MLS) and Atlanta Falcons (NFL). The reason to consider it almost a contemporary piece of art is the rooftop: it is composed by eight triangular panels that allow you to open and close the structure, whose roof is inspired by the Roman Pantheon. The American stadium, moreover, is in possession of the LEED certification (acronym of The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) of the Platinum type, which make it a unique in the States in terms of eco-sustainability. It has a capacity that can exceed 80 thousand units depending on the event hosted.