The FIGC has delivered the final dossier of Italy's candidacy to host the 2032 European Football Championships to UEFA.
And the document also includes that of Cagliari among the 10 stadiums destined to host matches . The new Sant'Elia (or rather the "Gigi Riva") undermines the Barbera of Palermo , which is indeed part of the documentation but as a sort of "reserve stadium", which can be taken into consideration in case of problems for one of the ten chosen locations.
These are the ten cities chosen by the FIGC: Rome, Milan, Turin (the Allianz Stadium, that of Juventus), Naples, Genoa, Bari, Florence, Bologna, Verona and indeed Cagliari .
Including both Islands, it is the reasoning made, could have created logistical problems and travel inconvenience. And of the two, Sardinia was preferred because excluding Cagliari would have meant excluding the new Sant'Elia, a project which is now at an advanced stage and has already obtained financial backing .
So officially begins the sprint between Italy and Turkey , the two candidate countries. The evaluation of UEFA is expected in the coming months, which will announce the venue of the 2028 and 2032 European Championships on 10 October during the Executive Committee .
«It is an extraordinary opportunity for Italy», commented the number 1 of the FIGC Gabriele Gravina .
«The dossier – he underlines – is inspired by a 'New Renaissance', it was created through continuous connections with the territories, on the one hand enhancing their historical and artistic beauties, on the other respecting their impact and sustainability. The dossier is the result of intense work, in which football has once again become an instrument of unity and transversal aggregation, materialized in the adoption of various government, parliamentary and municipal measures, which ennoble our candidacy. We have imagined Italy and European football in 10 years' time, in the awareness that the positive legacy of such an event will multiply extraordinary opportunities for the entire nation. I thank all the stakeholders involved, who have embraced the project with great enthusiasm and collaborative spirit».
(Unioneonline/L)
