Unipol Domus – stadium description

When Stadion Sant'Elia was declared too dated and ill-maintained for professional football in 2012, Cagliari Calcio began to search for a temporary venue. Except there was none across Sardegna, which caused the team's short relocation to Trieste and return to the island with a new scheme.

New, temporary stadium, was quickly assembled in Quartu Sant'Elena, as Is Arenas, just east of Cagliari. It took the site of an old athletic stadium, giving Quartu Sant'Elena a new permanent grandstand, while three remaining sides received temporary sections. In total the stadium was able to hold 16,500 people, which would have been enough if not for constant safety issues that made sustainable use of the structure impossible.

Cagliari were thus forced to find one more alternative and settled their dispute with the city, sealing a return to Stadio Sant'Elia once more. In 2013 the team took three stands from Is Arenas and rebuilt them within Sant'Elia's old concrete bowl. This was always considered a short-term move, though.

In 2015 it was decided that Sant'Elia will be demolished and replaced by a new structure, built privately by Cagliari Calcio. All that was left was to relocate the temporary auditorium once more, this time to Sant'Elia's parking site, just 200 meters east. The C-shaped sections were there joined by a purpose-built western main grandstand, established from scratch.

The city of Cagliari transfered rights to the land, allowing construction to begin in April of 2017. With simple, modular and tubular structure, the stadium was built within a short period of under 4 months and with a budget of just €8 million. It then had 16,200 seats, later expanded in 2018 by two western corners and reaching 16,400. The venue remains temporary and is expected to be demolished when the new Cagliari stadium (on the site of Sant'Elia) is ready.

How Unipol Domus compares to other Serie A stadiums?