Gravina warning ‘problems’ for EURO 2032 host cities, ‘impossible’ UEFA standards | OneFootball

FIGC President Gabriele Gravina warns ‘there will be a few problems’ finding suitable Italian stadiums to co-host EURO 2032 with Turkey. ‘It is impossible for some to follow the standards requested by UEFA.’

The plan originally had been for Italy to host the tournament alone, but then it was decided to split the duties with Turkey so that the Peninsula would provide only five venues rather than 10.

Even that is proving extremely difficult, because the slow-moving Italian red tape means getting approval for restructuring or even the building of new arenas is dragging on beyond deadlines.

Gravina fears more Italian red tape delays

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 23: General view outside the stadium prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on November 23, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The Federation must hand over the list of five stadiums to UEFA by October 2026 and President Gravina launched a warning today.

“We got the feeling that there will be a few problems for some of the cities we had indicated to host EURO 2032, because there is resistance tied to environmental, logistical, territorial and availability situations, compared to those who are giving us great reassurance on the investment.

“It is also impossible for some to follow the standards requested by UEFA,” noted Gravina.

Even San Siro recently failed an inspection for the required UEFA standards to host games, quite apart from the on-going row over building a new stadium next to the existing Stadio Meazza.

Some other stadiums are up to code, for instance Turin, Rome and Bergamo, while others are progressing with work already being done.

“We breathed a sigh of relief for Florence, which completed the financing process, so we are happy to say that is a city that has the right characteristics to be among the candidates,” added Gravina.

“When it comes to Palermo, we had the clear sensation that the owners are ready to do something particularly impressive in terms of infrastructure.”

The comments come just before the Government tries to push through a law introducing the new role of stadium commissioner, who is meant to help smooth the process of getting approval for projects.

“We need the right balance between cutting down red tape, sensibility for the local population, and the availability of investment. We must remember investment doesn’t depend on the commissioner, but on the club owners.”