Red tape-hit AS Roma venue plans kickstart

Article posted by Coliseum, May 12^th, 2022

Image: MJR Group Ltd./Coliseum

The process for the construction of the Serie A club A.S. Roma (Italy) new stadium has officially begun.

The ‘NSS Sports’ stated that buoyed by the Serie A team boasting full house against the Norwegian top-flight FK Bodø/Glimt, its peer team U.S. Salernitana 1919 and the Premier League team Leicester City F.C. (UK), the club’s American billionaire owner Thomas Daniel Friedkin – who had earlier given up on plans to build a new stadium for the club due to too much of red tapism – has now changed his mind and has formally presented the project plans in Campidoglio recently for a new venue for the top-notch club which will replace their present residence – Stadio Olimpico.

A.S. Roma is an Italian professional football club based in Rome, Italy. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma has participated in the top-tier of Italian football – Serie A – for all of their existence except for the 1951-1952 seasons.

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A.S. Roma’s residence is the 72,698-capacity Stadio Olimpico – the largest sports facility in Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex, North of the City. The structure is owned by the Italian National Olympic Committee and it is used primarily for association football.

The ‘NSS Sports’ further stated that the site chosen for the new arena is Pietralata in Rome (Italy), right behind the Tiburtina Station and a shouting distance from the Sandro Pertini Hospital. It is an area owned by the City and not subject to any kind of legal constraints.

Stadio della Roma is the temporary name for Serie A team A.S. Roma’s planned stadium in the Tor di Valle neighborhood of Rome.

Earlier, in March 2021, the club owner Friedkin had dropped the ambitious Tor de Valle project plan like a hot potato saying it was dogged by too much of “red tapism and political interferences”.

There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel again with Friedkin deciding to start anew the entire process of building a new home for the top-flight.

The ‘NSS Sports’ further stated that taking a page out of Premier League club Arsenal F.C.’s home pitch – the 60,260-capacity Emirates Stadium in London, England (UK) – the planned venue will be able to hold between 55,000 and 60,000 spectators, although a decision on the final design of the facility has not yet been arrived at.

The curves could be squarer than the rendering now presented, and emulating the Emirates Stadium style with North, South, East, and West stands and corners instead of the classic Italian curves.

In addition, the stadium will be located in a central and isolated area to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. Traffic snarls are a huge problem in the City of Rome.

The planned arena will also be in close proximity to Metro B stops and since it will sit right behind the Tiburtina Station, the communication network will be sound and fans can also reach the stadium by availing the high-speed lines facility, trains and buses. Though there is expected to be no communication hiccups given the planned arena will sit near to the Tiburtina Station, nevertheless, A.S. Roma has decided to conduct a study on the transportation aspect and rule out any kind of communication bottlenecks. In this regard, the club has already had meetings with representatives of Trenitalia.

The planned venue neighborhood will also undergo total transformation and plans have been drawn out to construct a public park, a shopping center and a sports center, plus two pedestrian and bicycle bridges. It is being planned to make the stadium a mixed-use facility so that the entire area throbs with activities much before the game of soccer starts and even after the game ends.

A mixed-use facility will keep the cash registers jingling even on a non-matchday and will augur well both for the City and the club.

Fledgling stage

However, the new venue plans are still in a fledgling stage and the project timeframe has not been decided as well as the cost analysis has not been done as yet.

The ‘Giallorossi’ fans can finally begin to dream about watching their sporting heroes playing in a plush and chic venue.

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