Sporting promotion is a reason to celebrate, but also a trigger for intense work – especially when the infrastructure doesn’t meet top-level requirements. That’s exactly the case in Pisa, where Arena Garibaldi is being upgraded at record pace.

Arena Garibaldi facing a new challenge

After Pisa SC’s historic promotion to Serie A, both the club and the city found themselves facing a serious challenge. Arena Garibaldi, located in the heart of the city, needs a series of urgent upgrades to comply with standards set by Lega Serie A. Official works began on June 3 and are scheduled to last exactly 75 working days – including weekends and holidays. It’s a real race against time.

The total cost of the investment is estimated at around €3 million, with half covered by the municipality of Pisa and the other half by the club, whose majority owners are Alexander Knaster and former president Giuseppe Corrado.

What will change at the stadium?

The scope of work is broad, covering both technical and structural aspects. First and foremost, the stadium’s capacity needs to be increased to over 12,500 seats. According to deputy mayor Raffaele Latrofa, 700 of these new seats will be added for home fans at accessible prices.

Part of the upgrade involves moving the barrier between the Curva Nord and Gradinata sections to recover more space for Pisa supporters. A new entrance tunnel – the so-called cannocchiale – will be built, physically dividing the lower stand into two parts. On either side of the tunnel, prefabricated team boxes and benches will be installed, along with a dedicated area for 16 disabled fans and their carers. The current plexiglass barrier separating the main stand from the pitch will be removed to improve both visibility and aesthetics.

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Pisa will also build a new gym next to the locker rooms using prefabricated elements. The media zone will be expanded: new rooms for journalists, a mixed zone, press conference room and media officers’ space will be created behind the main stand. The GOS control room, previously located on the upper tier, will be moved next to the Curva Nord, allowing the press area to expand significantly, nearly doubling its capacity.

Work is also underway in the Curva Sud, where the stand will be sealed and new seats installed. The area will be divided into two zones: one for home fans with around 1,700 seats, and another for away supporters with approximately 1,100 seats. This arrangement restores the original layout of the stadium, replacing temporary changes introduced in recent years.

Importantly, despite the sector reshuffle, all current season ticket holders in the Curva Nord will be able to renew their seats – the expanded capacity ensures supply still exceeds demand, thanks to earlier work completed in spring last year.

© Luca Aless (cc: by-sa)

Crucially, current safety regulations prevent any further capacity increases. These rules require a strict match between stadium seating and the safety buffer space around it. In Arena Garibaldi’s case, this space has been fully used, making 12,500 seats the maximum allowed.

When all work is completed, the total stadium capacity will be 12,508 seats, divided as follows: lower covered stand – 1,264 seats; upper covered stand – 1,482; Curva Nord – 3,880; Gradinata – 3,050; Curva Sud home section – 1,732; Curva Sud away section – 1,100.

The entire project will be officially reviewed by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) on June 11. City authorities have confirmed that positive feedback has already been received from Lega Serie A, the fire department, the police, and the prefecture. After construction ends, the final approval to host matches will be granted by the Regional Oversight Commission.

It’s worth noting that modernisation doesn’t stop at technical upgrades. The old LED scoreboard has been removed, and a larger, modern one will be installed on a historic 1980s frame built by the legendary Romeo Anconetani.

© Miguelftorres (cc: by-sa)

Back-up stadium only on paper

According to Lega Serie A regulations, each club must designate a back-up stadium in case of delays. Pisa has secured approval to name Unipol Domus in Cagliari as its alternative venue.

However, this doesn’t mean the club intends to use it. Both city and club officials are confident that Arena Garibaldi will be ready for the team’s second home fixture. To be safe, Pisa has asked the league to schedule its first match of the season away from home.