Michele Uva tells us “how to make state-of-the-art stadiums with reduced prices”

You feel at home. Even when it comes to stadiums, the English are as masters as they are in football. The stadium is like feeling at home, an aspiration that applies to everyone, not just for those who take the field, but above all for those who watch the field live or remotely. The smart stadium that talks to everyone seen as a source of revenue (at least 15 percent of the total), the sustainable stadium for its economic commitment, for its environmental and social impact. Abroad they move like gazelles: in Europe in the last ten years 103 new plants have been built and 30 have been renovated. Italy, on the other hand, has the pace of the sloth and those who thought that the modern Juventus Stadium, inaugurated in September 2011, should be the first in a long series of new home ownerships have been overwhelmed by hypotheses, projects, feasibility studies costing millions , renderings and above all words, words, words.

We need new stadiums that are smart, in step with the times, multifunctional like Tottenham’s New White Hart Lane mentioned in the report above. Facilities that can be used seven days a week such as the Johann Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam which involves 35 million people during the year. These are some of the well-developed examples in the book “Money vs. Ideas” that Michele Grape, one of the best Italian sports managers, currently director of sustainability in UEFA, has published with the journalist Maria Luisi Colledani for Mondadori. A volume that guides the reader towards the football of the future, highlighting the mistakes of yesterday and today with the hope that they will not be perpetrated.

Uva, how important is stadiums for UEFA?
“A lot, just think that we make our skills available to help all clubs and federations that want to tackle the construction or renovation of a facility. Last November in Mainz, Germany, we presented our guidelines on sustainable infrastructure, 240 pages that serve as a handbook for anyone preparing to build a stadium. Next week, for example, we will have a meeting with those who will be in charge of designing the new stadium in Florence and with the municipality”.

The main advice?
“Have depth of thought. Looking 10/15 years ahead. The first approach is this, linked to the vision of the future. How will people want to live and what will they need in the future? What will your needs be? Finding the answer to these questions before developing the project will lead to having a modern and sustainable system over time”.

Outside of the Italian delays, more than half of the stadiums in Italy are subject to six protection regimes and the bureaucracy does its part, are there models to follow?
“There cannot be a single model for all stadiums. He is the son of the territory where he was born, of his sporting, social and cultural context. For example, it is said that the Allianz Arena in Munich, I mention one of the most modern stadiums, is the right example to inspire for a city like Milan”.

There will be some stimulus that we can take from abroad…
“A jewel comes to mind: it is the Espanyol stadium in Barcelona, ​​in the Cornellà-El Prat area, 40,000 seats, UEFA has awarded it 4 stars for its services. Do you know how much it cost? 60 million and was inaugurated thirteen years ago. Do we want to add some inflation and say 80-100 million today? Here, state-of-the-art stadiums can be built with acceptable figures”.

Economic commitment aside, building a stadium nowadays no longer means responding only to architectural concepts…
“In our book you will find an infographic in the shape of a football with 84 sustainability terms applicable to a stadium inside. There is everything: from the ease of purchasing tickets to the limited use of plastic, from public transport to car-sharing, from irrigation to natural ventilation and many other aspects that have so far been highly regarded in society and in the life of every day but less in football. I am reminded of the Betis stadium in Seville, the Benito Villamarin, which a month ago hosted the match with the highest number of disabled people present: 3,500 with space and assistance for all”.

The construction of new facilities has only often been associated with major events. However, the latest choices go towards the organization of events in venues with already existing systems to avoid an increase in emissions. Is it a lost opportunity for those waiting for new stadiums for European or world events?
“No, far from it. The great event has become a driving force not only for infrastructure, but for the development of football and the whole territory. Staying close to the stadiums, I think back to France and Germany who took advantage of the organization of the Women’s World Cup for interventions on medium-small stadiums. This has served to narrow the gap between “can” and “cannot” societies. Because football to survive needs to think and grow as a system. Football is a complementary economic model: big teams need small ones and vice versa.”

The certainty is that if our football wants to return to the highest levels of competitiveness by attracting foreign investors it will necessarily have to seriously face the lack of adequate facilities. In the sweet wait, Manchester City can pay for Haaland’s signing by hosting weddings in his Etihad Stadium.