The first meeting of the week between the administration and Cagliari Calcio took place today at the City Hall to discuss the new stadium. This eagerly anticipated meeting comes just days after the club presented its updated project, a step forward toward the construction of the stadium, which will be named after Gigi Riva and is expected to replace the Sant'Elia stadium, abandoned in 2017.
"The meeting went very well," commented Cagliari Mayor Massimo Zedda. "Cagliari Calcio presented the project; we received it on Friday and are analyzing it. We are conducting checks to determine, in the context of the situation regarding stadiums that need to be adapted for international events, whether Cagliari Calcio should be the first to submit the project ." Also present were Deputy Mayor Maria Cristina Mancini, Councilor for Sport Giuseppe Macciotta, and Daniele Olla, the sole person responsible for the proceedings.
The cost of the project has increased by approximately €40 million compared to the project presented in 2022. " The PAUR environmental assessment procedure has been completed ," Zedda recalls. "A postponement was necessary: now we are waiting for the government to provide a response regarding that investment in adapting the sports facilities to host international events , which would provide assistance in the economic and financial plan."
The process has seen a great deal of bureaucratic delays, with Cagliari hoping to submit a tender by the end of 2025 and begin construction in the first half of 2026. A new meeting with the FIGC and UEFA will take place on Wednesday, again at the City Hall . "We will show up with the documents already filed and, likely after the summer break, we will go to the City Council ," Zedda concluded.
"A very positive meeting: we took stock of the situation, and I think having submitted the final project is a great achievement," added Antonio Romei, Cagliari Calcio's legal advisor. "Now we must focus on the final goal; there's still a lot of work to do ." Also attending for the Rossoblu club were president Tommaso Giulini, general manager Stefano Melis, and engineer Alessandro Gosti.
The goal is the 2032 European Championships, but not only that. "The cost of the project has increased significantly," Romei recalls, "because Cagliari has accepted the idea of having a stadium with European standards, and the capacity has increased to 30,000 spectators , both for the European Championships and for international events. It's important for the city of Cagliari to have a stadium with these requirements."
The Rossoblù club, like the Municipality, is confident that the capital will be among the host cities for Euro 2032 (the five venues will be chosen in October 2026). "Cagliari is in the running. We believe we are far ahead of the others: we are at the forefront or close to it , now we must remain so and succeed in bringing the European Championships to Cagliari. It would be a great satisfaction for everyone," Romei concludes.