All this in just over a month. The next few weeks will be crucial for the new stadium, and August now officially represents a watershed moment: all or nothing. More all or nothing, according to Sports Councilor Giuseppe Macciotta. "We can do it," he reassures.
UEFA has set August 20 as the deadline for publishing the tender for the construction of the new 30,000-seat stadium for Euro 2032. This deadline requires a definitive acceleration at Palazzo Bacaredda, where the offices are hard at work completing the final administrative steps.
"We've already received the new, final version of the PEF, which incorporates our additional recommendations. A joint review of the new agreement text produced by the administration is underway, and it's now being examined by Cagliari Calcio," Macciotta explains.
UEFA's plan
These days, the offices' work is primarily focused on updating the economic and financial plan, the so-called PEF, a key document for verifying the economic sustainability of the operation (with a total cost of €218 million). Work is also underway on the draft agreement, another essential piece that will govern the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of the parties. Last Thursday, the FIGC convened a conference of services with the Municipality and the Rossoblu club. "During this meeting, it was confirmed that Cagliari's application for candidacy as a candidate for the 2032 European Championships must be submitted, along with the relevant documentation, by July 31," explains Councilor Macciotta.
He added: "We are confident we will meet this deadline, and we are completing discussions with the relevant authorities and the proposing company, which will lead to the issuance of the required technical and accounting compliance opinions."
The checks
These are particularly complex documents, which is why updates require thorough technical, economic, and legal review. "Once this process is complete, the relevant council committees will continue their review, which began with the project analysis and will shortly bring the final versions of the Economic and Financial Planning Document and the agreement to their attention. At this point, it will be possible to vote in the chamber on the resolution on public interest and building rights, which is an essential element of the application," the councilor emphasizes.
During the meeting with the FIGC, it was also specified that the Italian Football Federation will select the eligible cities by September 15th, and that this decision must then be ratified by UEFA by October 1st. However, the August 20th deadline for the publication of the tender is the step UEFA considers essential to keep Cagliari on the path to Euro 2032. "We will also respect this deadline," assured Councilor Macciotta.
Ultimately, the new schedule extends the originally planned timeframe, but still, "the postponement is in compliance with the timeframes dictated by UEFA and, above all, with an even more careful and rigorous analysis of the financial and contractual documents to ensure the protection of the public interest," Macciotta adds. Perhaps this time is the right one.
Mauro Madeddu
