There are eight years left until Euro 2032. For most, this is a long time, but for Italian clubs and cities, who need to renovate their facilities, it can be a tense time. All the more so as only three stadiums are ready at the moment. Could the poor condition of the arenas put Italy's hosting of the tournament in risk?

Stadiums registered to host Euro 2032

Interest in hosting the 2032 European Championships has been expressed by two federations - Italy and Türkiye. Initially they were separate candidates, but in July 2023 representatives of both bids decided to join forces in the battle to host the tournament.

The final selection of the Euro 2032 host took place on October 10, 2023 in Nyon. The UEFA Executive Committee awarded the organisation to a joint bid from Italy and Türkiye. This will be the fourth European Championship to be played in Italy (after 1968, 1980 and 2020). Türkiye will make its debut as host of the tournament.

According to Italian media, there are around 10 Italian stadiums that could host Euro 2032. The stadiums put forward for hosting are:

• Stadio San Siro (Milan)
• Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
• Stadio San Nicola (Bari)
• Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Naples)
• Stadio Artemio Franchi (Florence)
• Allianz Stadium (Turin)
• Stadio Luigi Ferraris (Genoa)
• Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi (Verona)
• Stadio Renato Dall'Ara (Bologna)
• Stadio Cagliari (Cagliari) - new stadium.

© GaeC86 | Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Final warning

However, five arenas have to be selected from a long list. The problem is primarly the technical state of most stadiums. Among the clubs desperate to rebuild or build new stadiums is AC Milan, along with Inter, who are planning to leave the San Siro, and Napoli, which wants to move closer to the epicentre of the earthquake. Fiorentina have even taken the local government to court, complaining that promised funds for stadium improvements have not yet arrived.

Lega Serie A general manager Luigi De Siervo was the first to sound the alarm about the whole affair. If our stadiums are not upgraded by October 2026, we risk losing the 2032 European Championship allocated to us he said during a thematic panel dedicated to stadiums, called Italian stadiums: the final bell? at the Festival della Serie A in Parma.

The issue of stadiums is crucial and we cannot afford to fail. We have one last chance because UEFA will verify our arenas by October 2026. At the moment we don't want to lay the blame, but we have to prove that we are united and find the economic resources and responsibility we need. Infrastructure can't just be built for big events, it has to serve forever - he added.

© The Hausmeister's Groundhopping | Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (Stadio San Siro)

Luigi De Siervo also referred to the situation of clubs from the lower leagues, and Como, who will play their first matches in a different stadium. Many Serie B clubs don't invest in their stadiums, perhaps also for fear of bringing bad luck, but this only creates problems when they get promoted to Serie A. They then have to play their first matches in other arenas while their own facilities are upgraded.

The only certainties for Euro 2032 seem to be Allianz Stadium, Stadio Olimpico and Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Unless the situation changes, it is likely that the number of host cities between the countries will not be equal, with Türkiye having seven venues and Italy only three. Will the verification of the stadiums in October 2026 give the green light for the maximum number of arenas at Euro 2032?

If you want to explore the topic of stadiums for euro 2032 then we suggest a dedicated YouTube video. More than six months ago, our editorial team tried to identify the most likely arenas to host the Euro tournament in Italy and Turkey. Do you agree with our choices?