European Football Boss Ceferin Cautions Italy Risks Missing Out on Euro 2032 Hosting Rights Unless Venues are Upgraded

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This handout provided by UEFA shows UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin giving a press conference closing an executive Committee meeting at the UEFA headquarters on June 17, 2020 in Nyon. – The 2019-2020 Champions League, suspended since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, will be completed in a ‘Final Eight’ in Lisbon in August, UEFA said. (Photo by Harold Cunningham / UEFA / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / UEFA / Harold Cunningham” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin warned Italy risks not be able to co-host Euro 2032 with Turkey due the condition of the country’s stadiums, which he called “some of the worst in Europe”.

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“Euro 2032 is scheduled and will take place, of that there is no doubt. I just hope that the infrastructure (in Italy) will be ready. If that’s not the case, the tournament will not be held in Italy,” Ceferin said in an interview with the Gazzetta Dello Sport published on Thursday.

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“Maybe Italy’s politicians should ask themselves why the football infrastructure is among the worst in Europe.”

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Ceferin added Italian football’s biggest problem was “the relationship between the football authorities and politics”.

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In October, Italy has to name the five stadiums that will host matches at Euro 2032, with 11 cities currently candidates: Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan, Genoa, Bari, Naples, Turin, Cagliari and Palermo.

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Italy can present new stadiums or ones which need to be redeveloped as long as works begin by March 2027.

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Only one, Juventus’ Allianz Stadium in Turin, is completely ready to host matches at the summer international tournament.

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Inter Milan and AC Milan recently purchased the San Siro from the city of Milan and are hoping to complete a new 71,500-capacity arena on the same site as the current stadium by 2031.

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However the sale of the land is being probed for alleged bid rigging by the public prosecutors’ office in Italy’s economic capital.

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Roma were given the green light by the local authorities in Rome to build a new stadium in the east of the Eternal City, while Fiorentina’s Stadio Artemio Franchi is being redeveloped.

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Last month the city of Naples presented a renovation project for the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, where Serie A champions Napoli play their matches.

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The Maradona project, which includes the elimination of the running track which borders the pitch, has a budget of 200 million euros ($230 million) and was presented by mayor Gaetano Manfredi as something that needing doing “regardless of 2032”.

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