Renovation work on the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence, Italy will not be completed until the 2029-30 season, the city’s new Mayor has warned.
Football Italia said this is bad news for Fiorentina fans who hoped that the work would be speeded up.
The stadium has been severely limited in capacity for months with part of the Curva Fiesole already knocked down.
And a row has now erupted between the local council and Fiorentina, who had very different ideas over how to proceed and who would fund the work.
The 43,147-capacity Stadio Artemio Franchi is a football stadium in Florence, Italy. It is currently the home of ACF Fiorentina. The old nickname of the stadium was ‘Comunale’.
The revamp work includes a new roof for the venue and new grandstands which will bring fans closer to the action. Once the renovation is complete, the stadium would boast a capacity of 40,000.
The top-flight club and the Municipality of Florence are spearheading the redevelopment work on the stadium. However, both the entities are locking horns over a number of issues.
With massive delays and funding gaps, a meeting has been held where Mayor of Florence Sara Funaro announced the change of plan.
She said, “The overall costs are around €265 million, so we are missing circa €60 million to complete the stadium for the 2032 European Championship.
“The deadline is set for July 31, 2027, when I must present the project and financing to complete all the work. The Stadio Franchi will be completed and available in its totality from the 2029-30 football season.”
There are still quite a few details to be resolved, as the Mayor herself confirms.
She said, “It would be wrong to set out a schedule now without having the businesses under contract.
“We have a rough estimate that in our view can be stuck to. We are considering a possible increase in overnight working hours, but to do that we need extra permission that could be allowed through the sports decree.”
Fiorentina President Rocco Commisso had wanted to build a brand new stadium, or even take control of the Stadio Franchi rebuilding work, but was denied this by the local authorities.
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