Italy Race to Host Euro 2032: Italy Unprepared, Several Stadiums in Play
Italy co-hosts Euro 2032 with Türkiye, but faces pressure to upgrade its ageing stadium infrastructure. Only Juventus’s Allianz Stadium currently meets UEFA standards. Others -including San Siro, Rome’s Olympic Stadium, and Florence’s Artemio Franchi -require significant renovation or altogether replacement.
The government is considering a special commissioner to expedite these projects, due to strict deadlines: by October 2026 five approved and financed stadiums must be ready. Delays stem from complex ownership issues and bureaucracy. If Italy fails to fulfil requirements, there is risk some matches will be assigned to Türkiye. Meanwhile, cities such as Bologna, Verona, Naples, and Cagliari are among those with stadiums either under consideration or facing renovation. Urgent action is needed to ensure Italy remains capable of hosting its share of the tournament.
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No-Shows: How to Tackle One of Sport’s Biggest Challenges
No-shows – ticket holders who fail to attend matches – present major financial and reputational costs for sports clubs. Beyond lost revenue from unsold‐onsite refreshments and merchandise, empty seats harm sponsor relationships, broadcast perception, and home advantage.
Dominik Schreyer of Germany’s WHU school outlines hidden consequences: no-shows are a warning signal for dissatisfaction or disengagement, and can precede season-ticket cancellations. Key causes include opportunity cost (e.g. competing personal commitments), the attractiveness of the visiting team, weather, and travel issues.
Structural issues such as offering large numbers of season tickets or limited flexibility also contribute. Schreyer emphasises that clubs should treat no-shows as more than an inconvenience – more as strategic feedback. Solutions include dynamic pricing, peer-to-peer ticket transfer, mild overbooking (in high-demand zones), improving the matchday product, and offering value that outweighs personal trade-offs.
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Everton, Co-op Live and Monaco Launch New Experiences
Everton has opened a café at its new Hill Dickinson Stadium, located in the East Stand’s Trinity Place, serving hot and cold food daily (excluding major event days). The stadium now offers public tours, reopening Everton Way and full access to the Official Everton Store. A mosaic “Fan Wall” composed of photos submitted by fans has also been installed.
Meanwhile, Co-op Live in Manchester has unveiled Canalside, a two-storey café and bar space overlooking the canal, designed for daytime casual visits and, on event days, a bar for ticket-holders. It includes indoor and outdoor seating, a terrace, and is dog-friendly. The build reuses shipping containers and salvaged materials in line with sustainability aims.
AS Monaco has introduced a “Pub by Blue Coast” VIP space at Stade Louis-II, through partnership with a local brewery, providing guests with regional beers and plates. The programme runs through to 2027 and aligns with Monaco’s modernisation plans for the stadium.
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Roig Arena Stages First Event
Valencia’s new Roig Arena, with capacity for 20,000 in concert mode and 15,600 for basketball, officially opened with a tribute concert to late Spanish singer Nino Bravo, attended by a full house. The arena, designed by HOK and ERRE, cost approximately €400 million, and will also host Valencia Basket as their home venue.
It features Spain’s highest-resolution video scoreboard (supplied by LG), and the design emphasises both spectacle and sustainability: ceramic façade with thousands of fins, passive cooling, photovoltaic panels, locally sourced materials, and public spaces.
The site includes a 21,500 m² public park, with terraces blending interior and exterior gathering spaces. On non-event days, its concourse transforms into a food and beverage market.
Roig Arena is expected to contribute over €150 million to the Valencian economy by September 2026, especially from visitors outside Valencia.
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Aramark Builds Spanish Presence with Nou Mestalla Contract
Valencia CF has appointed hospitality firm Aramark to oversee food and beverage operations at the new Nou Mestalla stadium, due to open in summer 2027. Aramark will manage 52 points of sale across the venue – including bars, hospitality areas and a Fan Zone – and a 1,000 m² central kitchen.
The offerings will blend high-street style with Mediterranean cuisine for various audience types. The Fan Zone is to serve as a social gathering point before matches. Technology will play a central role: self-service kiosks, streamlined purchasing, and an autonomous store are planned, along with a dedicated “Fan Aramark” platform offering fans exclusive promotions and advance ordering. The agreement includes strong sustainability commitments under Aramark’s “Be Well. Do Well.” programme, aiming to reduce waste, use fewer disposables, and responsibly develop the space. The deal strengthens Aramark’s existing presence in Spain, where it already operates services at several major stadiums.
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Stadium for Bath Facing Government Intervention
Bath Rugby’s proposal to build a new 18,000-capacity stadium on the site of The Recreation Ground is under government scrutiny. Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee meets on 17 September to consider the club’s revised designs, which include reduced heights of stands, redesigned facades, a curved roof, improved landscaping by the river, enhanced accessibility, and sustainability measures.
Although planning officers conclude the plans broadly align with development policy, a letter from the UK Government under Article 31 means the application cannot be granted without specific authorisation. Councillors are asked to advise the Secretary of State what they would have decided if the intervention had not been issued. The scheme, first submitted in 2023, reflects feedback from stakeholders. Over 5,400 public comments were lodged, most in favour, though some objections argue the stadium is out of place in Bath’s UNESCO World Heritage setting.
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Fiorentina Stadium Under Reconstruction: Unanswered Questions and Growing Delays
Work on Florence’s Stadio Artemio Franchi is underway, including the Fiesole stand, part of the Maratona, and a section of the main stand. However, aerial images show these areas remain visibly unfinished as deadlines near. Although a new variant of the renovation project has been approved, there is still no public schedule detailing when specific sections will be completed. Fans and local observers fear that by mid-September, when Fiorentina return home, the stadium will not be sufficiently ready. The lack of transparency, delays, and unclear documentation raise concerns about whether the venue can fulfil its expected role in upcoming fixtures and its reputation in broader Italian stadium renewal efforts.
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