Rome targets Euro 2032 final as Milan stadium plans clear court hurdle
Rome’s Stadio Olimpico is set for a proposed €150m redevelopment aimed at securing the Euro 2032 final, while Milan and Inter have cleared a legal obstacle to their new stadium plans.
Sport e Salute has presented a €150m redevelopment of Rome’s Stadio Olimpico designed to increase its year-round commercial use and strengthen its bid to host the UEFA Euro 2032 final.The government agency, which owns the stadium, plans to modernise spectator facilities, expand hospitality and event provision, and improve accessibility, with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2027 and finish by 2030.Diego Nepi Molineris, chief executive of Sport e Salute, said: “What we have designed belongs to the future. We will transform it into a great international stadium; more modern, sustainable, accessible, and alive 365 days a year. A place where sport, entertainment, and major events will find a new dimension, with a public experience worthy of the best stadiums in the world.“We have already presented the project to UEFA and the commissioner body established by the government, whom we thank for their attention and discussion, with a specific objective: to bring the Euro 2032 final to Rome.”The renovated Olimpico would accommodate more than 70,000 spectators, with reorganised access, improved sightlines and upgraded technological infrastructure, including giant LED screens and renewable energy systems.New premium seating, corporate facilities, food and beverage outlets, retail and merchandising areas are intended to broaden revenue opportunities at the current home of Lazio and Roma.The project has been developed with the FIGC and the government-appointed commissioner coordinating Italy’s Euro 2032 preparations, with a construction programme intended to allow the stadium to remain in use.Marco Mezzaroma, president of Sport e Salute, commented: “The Stadio Olimpico is the home of Italian sport and a hub of emotions, not just sporting ones. With this renovation, it expands its capacity to welcome and engage spectators and fans, with spaces and services designed to provide a complete stadium experience.“A more modern and open stadium attracts major sporting, musical, and entertainment events. Every event generates excitement and generates revenue, benefiting the city, the region, and the entire sports system.”Italy will co-host Euro 2032 with Türkiye, with five Italian venues expected to stage matches and the FIGC having submitted 14 stadiums across 13 cities for UEFA’s consideration.Rome’s remaining candidates are the Olimpico and Roma’s proposed stadium in Pietralata, while Lazio’s Stadio Flaminio redevelopment was excluded from the final list despite making progress in its separate approval process.In Milan, the Regional Administrative Court has rejected five legal challenges to the sale of San Siro and its surrounding land to Milan and Inter, removing an obstacle to their replacement stadium project.The proceedings, brought by associations and private citizens from 2022 onwards, had threatened to delay the development, which envisages a new venue near the existing Giuseppe Meazza stadium and its subsequent demolition.The clubs completed their acquisition from the municipality in November 2025 and have appointed Foster + Partners and MANICA to develop the stadium design and surrounding masterplan.Their reported timetable targets construction beginning next summer and completion in 2031, with the replacement stadium remaining Milan’s proposed Euro 2032 venue after the existing ground failed UEFA’s inspections.Naples will also proceed with the municipality’s proposal to renovate Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as its tournament candidate, following the exclusion of Napoli’s separate plan for a new 70,000-seat stadium.The Olimpico programme extends beyond the stadium into the surrounding Foro Italico district, linking preparations for the tournament with a wider infrastructure and events strategy.Nepi Molineris added: “We want a Stadio Olimpico capable of attracting more and more major international events and becoming a permanent driving force for sport, for Italy, and for Rome. Because the new Stadio Olimpico will not simply be a stadium: it will be the great international stage for Italian sport.”