Which stadiums will be built in Italy

A few weeks ago we talked about the disastrous situation of the stadiums in Italy and the pompous structures announced and then never realised, which ended up in oblivion together with all the good intentions. Italy's last great opportunity to get a makeover was the 1990 World Cup, and from then on it slowly fell into an oblivion from which only a few lucky clubs managed to re-emerge. But 2022 must have triggered a spring in the step of some teams who, despite the long timeframe and cumbersome Italian bureaucracy, have decided to modernise or in some cases completely rethink their stadium. This is mainly due to the 'Sblocca Stadi' decree, which has made it possible to speed up the upgrading or total restyling of sports facilities.

While teams such as Milan, Inter and Roma are working to find the right solution and lay the foundation stone, there are also clubs that have already overcome all the tedious and time-consuming bureaucratic procedures and in a few years' time will have a new, modern and functional stadium, designed to be lived in seven days a week and not just for matches. The virtuous clubs are: Atalanta, Bologna, Cagliari, Fiorentina, Parma, Spezia and Ternana. A special mention goes to AlbinoLeffe, which completed its new stadium at the end of 2021, becoming the first facility owned by a club playing in Lega Pro. The new facility is located in Zanica, a few kilometres from Bergamo, and is situated inside the sports centre already managed by AlbinoLeffe for a decade. For AlbinoLeffe it was an obligatory choice since Atalanta purchased the current Gewiss Stadium, thus preventing the Biancoblu from being able to play there.

Atalanta - Gewiss Stadium

Completion is very, very close. After the latest blameless delays by the club, it now seems certain that the Gewiss Stadium will be completely finished in August 2023. As of today, in fact, only the south corner, the one that hosts the visiting fans and part of the Bergamasque fans, still needs to be completed. Another year or so and the Dea team will be able to play in a modern stadium, inspired by and built on the model of the German ones, with curves so high that from the pitch they give the impression of being able to overwhelm you at any moment. 

Bologna - The new dall'Ara 

Like Atalanta, Bologna will also give its historic stadium a new look. The works, as announced, should start in 2023 for an important project, on which the club has been working continuously since 2015. It has been necessary to preserve all the historical elements of the stadium such as the tower, the perimeter around the original brick curtain wall, the hall and the staircase of the west grandstand. The athletics track will be removed, allowing all spectators to experience the game in close contact with the players, as in England. There are still a few months to go, but everything seems to be in place for the start of the works, which should allow Bologna not to move, playing during the works in progress.

Cagliari - Sant'Elia  

Cagliari may have officially put an end to a dispute that has been going on for years. A few days ago, the red and blue president, Tommaso Giulini, and the mayor of Cagliari and the Metropolitan City, Paolo Truzzu, drew the lines towards the new 30,000-seat stadium, which will see the presentation of the final project as the next fundamental step. The new stadium will be built on the ashes of the old Sant'Elia, the demolition of which will cost around 10 million euros. The most curious element that can be seen from the render is certainly the swimming pool positioned to the right of the grandstand, an atypical choice but one that will allow the facility to be used seven days a week.

Fiorentina - Artemio Franchi

After Cagliari, a few days ago Fiorentina unveiled the winning project in the international competition for the restyling of the Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence. The winner is Studio Arup, with the restyling project signed by architect David Hirsch that will make the structure built by Pier Luigi Nervi in 1931 modern. The stadium redevelopment project focuses on the new roof, a thin rectangular metal blade designed to minimise the visual impact on the skyline and enhance the horizontality of Nervi's work, interrupting at the iconic elements such as the Marathon tower and the historic canopy. The idea behind the project is to complete the Artemio Franchi Stadium redevelopment project with a living, efficient urban system.

Parma - Tardini

"The city has to be experienced at 360 degrees and the stadium is a primary place in this sense. I see huge potential for the city. It won't be a shopping centre, it will encourage soft mobility, by car, on foot and by bicycle." These were the words of the city's mayor a few months ago when he was asked to comment on the stadium issue. Despite the relegation, the Parma of the new president Krause is ready for the ascent that will pass also from the new stadium that will be perfectly integrated with the city, starting from the external cover inspired by that of the theatre, up to the stands.

Spezia - Alberto Picco

Like all other teams, Spezia also wants to modify and improve its existing structure. Around the Picco will be built new stands that will give the Ligurian team an avant-garde facility, with a final capacity of at least 16 thousand seats. Also for this reason, the adjacent land, previously owned by the Navy, has been purchased. The end date of the work is set for 2024 but it is not yet certain, the only thing that is certain is that the new ownership is serious about maintaining the top category and then with time begin to grow thanks to the revenues of the new and renovated Picco.

Ternana - Libero Liberati

One of the strangest restyling projects is undoubtedly the one at Ternana, where a new and renovated stadium will be joined by a medical clinic. The project was delivered just a month ago and more than 60 million euros will be invested in both rebuilding the exterior and increasing the capacity to 18,037 spectators. The clinic will have 203 beds, half of which will be provided by the public service.