As the moon landings continue, the famous saying by aeronautical engineer Edward Murphy Jr. comes to mind: “If there is a possibility of a mistake, it will happen”, has become an apt description of the current state of Italian football. A third consecutive absence from the 2026 World Cup represents a severe blow to a system in need of comprehensive reforms, both on a technical level and in terms of infrastructure.
Italy, alongside Turkey, will co-host the 2032 European Championship, which presents a golden opportunity to launch infrastructure development projects that trace their roots back to the “magical nights” of the 1990 World Cup, according to the Spanish newspaper ‘AS’.
In contrast, however, the Turks have significantly improved their facilities, from Vodafone Park in Beşiktaş to Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Galatasaray, via Yeni Hatay Stadium in Antakya, and others. Meanwhile, the future of Italian stadiums remains unclear, as it appears that the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Juventus’s home ground, is the only one capable of meeting current standards.
On another note, only Juventus owns its own stadium, alongside Udinese (Blu Energy Stadium), Atalanta (New Balance Arena) and Sassuolo (Mapei Stadium). As for Milan and Inter, both have announced plans to build a new San Siro stadium. Meanwhile, Roma have unveiled a stadium project in Pietralata, and Lazio in Flaminio. Cagliari are making some progress, but all these projects remain on paper and in the design phase, with none of them having started yet.
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