Luigi Ferraris Stadium panoramic rejig plans

Article posted by Coliseum, April 29^th, 2025

Image: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Superchilum, CC BY 4.0

The real estate developer CDS Holding has evinced keen interest in purchasing the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, Italy, home to the Serie A team Genoa CFC and the Serie B team U.C. Sampdoria.

‘iMedia’ stated that the company has officially announced plans to submit a takeover offer and move forward with a comprehensive renovation plan. The company plans to buy the 33,205-seat stadium and carry out an extensive renovation and has submitted a planning proposal to the Genoa City Government in this regard.

Lombardy (Italy)-based the CDS Holding are among the leaders in Italy in the real estate industry and the main player in the development of Retail Real Estate with over 70 structures completed over 25 years for a developed area of over 1,000,000 square meters.

The 33,205-capacity Luigi Ferraris Stadium, also known as the Marassi from the name of the neighborhood where it is located, is a multiuse stadium in Genoa, Italy. The home of the Genoa CFC and the U.C. Sampdoria football clubs it opened in 1911 and is the oldest stadium still in use for football and other sports in Italy.

The Genoa Cricket and Football Club is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria (Italy). The team competes in the Serie A, the top division of the Italian football league system. The Luigi Ferraris Stadium serves as their home ground.

The U.C. Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria, is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria (Italy). They compete in Serie B, the second division of the Italian football league system. The Luigi Ferraris Stadium serves as their home pitch.

‘iMedia’ further stated that the above two clubs have reviewed the renovation plan and has sent out a joint statement which read, “Both sides support the transformation of the stadium into a multifunctional venue capable of hosting sports events and large-scale events. The Genoa and Sampdoria reiterate their commitment to jointly contribute to the development of the City and, in particular, to promote this important renovation project for the fans.”

In January this year it was reported that two options were being considered: One was for the two clubs to jointly own the stadium with 50 percent of the shares and the other was to draw up a new franchise agreement. The parties involved hope that the project can be completed by 2029 so that the stadium can serve as the venue for the 2032 European Cup to be jointly hosted by Italy and Turkey.

The 2032 Union of European Football Association (UEFA) European Football Championship, commonly referred to as the UEFA Euro 2032 or simply Euro 2032, will be the 19^th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international football championship organized by the UEFA for the senior men’s national teams of its member associations. Italy and Turkey will host the tournament which is expected to take place between June and July 2032.

Nyon (Switzerland)-based the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan as well as the West Asian countries of Cyprus, Armenia and Israel. The UEFA consists of 55 national association members. Since 2022, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FIFA and the UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from any FIFA and UEFA competitions.

Built in 1911, the Luigi Ferraris Stadium is the oldest existing stadium in Italy and hosted the 1990 World Cup. Genoa has played here since its opening while the Sampdoria has used it as their home ground since 1946.

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