I migliori centri d'allenamento calcistici italiani

The discussion regarding the construction of stadiums in Italy is always a delicate matter to address. In our country, it seems almost mandatory for new facilities to be assigned as the host nation of a significant football event. This fateful assignment has now come to pass: Italy will host (along with Turkey) the 2032 edition of the European Championship. Needless to say, this is such a golden opportunity that it could turn into a long-awaited redemption for the entire nation, which was deprived of this privilege over a decade ago when Poland and Ukraine were selected as hosts for the 2012 European Championship. However, this discussion is also haunted by many ghosts from the past. The 1990 World Cup is a regrettable example of money wastage and misguided investments. As this article points out, the initial estimated cost for the renovation and construction of the 12 stadiums chosen to host World Cup matches was around 250 billion lire, which later increased to about 1250 billion lire, an increase that affected the state's finances for years.

To the almost dramatic situation of Italian stadiums, inevitably worsened by the incredible events surrounding the "new San Siro" and a hypothetical new home for Roma, training centers attempt to provide some signs of life. Before delving into the specifics and aesthetics of the best Italian sports facilities, it is worth discussing why these centers can emerge more quickly compared to a stadium. Among the many reasons, one of the most interesting concerns their purpose: training centers have immense potential. They can become true headquarters for clubs and places to converge fans and athletes. For instance, the newly established Viola Park accommodates 900 daily employees, including athletes and staff. If managed properly, these facilities can guarantee substantial and, above all, consistent flows of people. One of the objectives that sports centers could begin to pursue is to become hubs for everyday life. Viola Park, for instance, seems to have a clear vision in this regard. The facility located in the outskirts of Florence aims to become self-sustaining by 2028 through subscription memberships to access the center's areas, event organization, and affiliations with new sponsors. It is precisely the American-inspired idea of Rocco Commisso that Italy can take the initiative for the construction of new facilities. Let's discover the best football sports centers in our country.

Fiorentina: Viola Park

Also known as Rocco B. Commisso Park and designed by architect Marco Casamonti, it is one of the most advanced sports facilities in Europe. It was inaugurated just a few days ago with the Grand Opening Viola Park event and boasts an area of approximately 250,000 square meters, 10 regulation football fields, 71 bedrooms, a restaurant, fitness areas complete with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and much more. The wellness area is noteworthy for being equipped with a machine from the United States for injury recovery called Hydroworx, which simulates the absence of gravity and features an underwater treadmill, in addition to a room called the green room equipped with sensors and probes to prevent potential injuries. A real gem: we hope that one day the Artemio Franchi Stadium can become at least one-third as beautiful as Viola Park.

Monza: Luigi Berlusconi Sports Center - Monzello

Monza's excellent performances are undoubtedly also the result of the magic of the municipal training center, located in the city center. The modernization of the location, which began in 2019, was only completed a year ago, as part of a necessary project initiated following the rejuvenation of the U-Power Stadium, which also led to a name change. The facility has very little to envy in comparison to top clubs: 8 playing fields, 3 gyms, and 16 changing rooms are available for all teams, both male and female, including youth teams. The field surfaces, of excellent quality, are provided by the Italgreen company. An interesting curiosity is that Italgreen's intervention not only involved the playing fields but also a soccer cage.

Palermo: Palermo F.C. City Football Academy

Moving to Serie B but staying in the category of recently inaugurated facilities, the Palermo F.C. City Football Academy, more simply known as CFA, deserves a special mention. It is located in the municipality of Torretta and has the peculiarity of being incomplete. The training center will be completed in the coming months with the goal of finishing the work by the end of 2023. Its location is notable, as it is located 25 minutes from Mondello, 25 minutes from the city center, and the stadium.

Atalanta: Achille and Cesare Bortolotti Sports Center

Transitioning from the bucolic uniqueness of Palermo's CFA to the Bortolotti Sports Center in Zingonia seems like a leap to another dimension – stylistically, they are undoubtedly poles apart. Only 2,500 square meters of the Bergamo center are dedicated to offices and changing rooms, while the rest of the facilities and playing fields cover a substantial 120,000 square meters. Recent renovations have been carried out, but the Zingonia center has promised its worth since its inception and through its repeated modernizations. To illustrate, in 2014, one of the four regulation football fields was constructed by recycling tire rubber.

Sassuolo: Mapei Football Center

The Mapei Football Center, owned by the company, is truly unique, especially when considering the type of building that characterizes it. It is perfectly situated between two of the four regulation playing fields, a feature that gives the center a unique symmetry. The 1,582 square meters of the building's surface are distributed across three levels: the basement contains changing rooms, technical rooms, and warehouses; the ground floor houses changing rooms, a gym, offices, and massage rooms dedicated to the first team; the first floor is equipped with changing rooms and a gym for the youth sector; and finally, the second floor is entirely dedicated to offices and meeting rooms for management.

Novara: Novarello - Azzurro Village

It may not be the most advanced, technological, innovative, or extensive, but Novara's training center is unique in its own way. This is why it deserves a place on the list of the best football facilities in Italy. Novarello's uniqueness lies in the presence of a replica of the Mar Elian monastery, a Syrian place of worship destroyed by ISIS, built right there in the rice fields of Granozzo, where Novara trains. It was constructed at the request of Michelangelo Di Salvo, the club's president's father, and has helped make Novarello a meeting place for anyone who wants to gather in a group. Near the football facility, there is also an indoor sports complex that can accommodate various sports such as judo, kendo, water skiing, alpine skiing, futsal, and many more. In short, Azzurro Village is a mystical place.