Uefa threatens to strip Italy of Euro 2032 over stadium infrastructure
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has warned Italy they will be stripped of their Euro 2032 co-hosting rights if the country fails to rapidly upgrade its outdated football stadiums.
The Azzurri are currently scheduled to stage the major European tournament alongside Turkey.
However, the Mediterranean nation has until October to provide European football’s governing body with a finalised list of five suitable venues.
Speaking to Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport, the 57-year-old Slovenian administrator delivered a blunt ultimatum regarding the sluggish pace of facility renovations.
“Euro 2032 is scheduled and will take place. I hope the infrastructure will be ready. Otherwise, the tournament will not be played in Italy.”
Bureaucracy halting stadium progress
Top-flight domestic clubs such as AC Milan, Inter Milan, Lazio and AS Roma have repeatedly faced immense bureaucratic hurdles when attempting to build new grounds.
These historical facilities are frequently owned by local public authorities, leading to protracted and complex negotiations for any modernisation efforts.
Recent data from consultancy firm PwC starkly illustrates the scale of the infrastructure crisis currently facing the nation.
Between 2007 and 2024, only six modern venues were built or redeveloped across the Italian peninsula.
In contrast, Germany completed 19 stadium projects during the same period, while England managed 13 and France delivered 12.
Political blame and national team crisis
The stark warning compounds a miserable week for Italian football, following their failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
A devastating penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia in Tuesday’s play-off match has triggered a wave of national outcry.
The immense domestic pressure ultimately forced Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina to resign from his post on Thursday.
Despite the chaotic backdrop, European football’s most powerful figure staunchly defended the departing official and placed the blame squarely on government administrators.
“Perhaps it is Italian politicians who should be asking themselves why Italy has some of the worst football infrastructure in Europe.”
The Uefa chief insisted the former federation boss was not responsible for the current plight, heavily criticising opportunistic detractors for attacking the national team setup.
