What does the future hold for one of Italy's most recognisable venues? Should it tremble for its existence, like San Siro until recently? It turns out that there is no need for fear. Rome's arena will additionally soon undergo a series of upgrades.

Stadio Olimpico is not in danger

The uncertainty surrounding the existence of Stadio Olimpico stemmed from the fact that AS Roma had been strongly considering building a new stadium for several years. Additionally, in 2017, there was speculation that Lazio would decide to take a similar step, even showing preliminary visualisations of the Stadio Delle Aquile. Over the years, it has emerged that no one is considering demolishing the legendary arena - not even the possible move of the two most popular teams from the Eternal City to new venues and leaving Olimpico without permanent tenants will change that.

We now know that Rome's stadium will undergo an overhaul in the near future due to an event that will be held as early as next year. From June 7 to June 12, 2024, the Italian capital will host the European Athletics Championships. This event will be the last test before the Olympic Games, which will start in Paris at the end of July the same year. The mother of all sports has been a regular visitor to Olimpico in recent years as part of the Golden Gala event included in the Diamond League series. From 2021, the event alternates at Stadio Luigi Ridolfi in Florence.

© Marco_Pomella

Renovation before big event

However, the awarding of the rights to host the European Championships has led to a decision to upgrade some elements of the arena used by Roma and Lazio. The work is largely centred around the infrastructure used for the athletics competitions. The running track surrounding Olimpico turf will be retrofitted - it is speculated that it will change its colour, but no final decision has been made - the infrastructure for the high jump will be renewed, as will the long jump. A partial upgrade of the Tribuna Tevere is also planned.

The ongoing investment will not prevent Lazio and Roma from using the facility. The heaviest workload is expected to take place in September and October 2023 during the representative football break. This arrangement is expected to result in both clubs avoiding major inconveniences related to the use of the arena. Initially, the I Biancocelesti authorities even issued a message to supporters apologising to fans for the problems associated with being able to use the Tribuna Tevere Parterre, but this turned out to be a false alarm.

© Gary Denham (CC BY-SA 2.0)