Italian Serie A football club Udinese Calcio has revealed plans to transform its multipurpose Dacia Arena, traditionally known as Stadio Friuli, into a hub for non-matchday use, according to reports.
As per the deal reached between the club and the local municipality, the venue will undergo a revamp costing between €20m and €30m, with a series of new facilities lined up to be introduced in the heart of the stadium.
Udinese has been studying successful stadiums in America and are looking to emulate their success stories in bringing more people and revenue to the club outside of traditional football days.
TV studios, a music school, a nursery, commercial offices, a medical centre, a fitness centre, a swimming pool, a museum, warehousing space, a congress centre and a brewery are among the facilities planned within the ‘Stadium 2.0’ renovation project.
The club has said that, following the redevelopment, large-scale music concerts will also be able to return to the venue, with a capacity of up to 25,000 spectators on the pitch and in the stands.
The first facilities that are set to open to the public – the swimming pool, fitness centre, medical center and brewery – could be open within a year.
A total of 20,000 square metres will be revamped in the “belly” of the stadium, modelling the venue on new arenas from the US major leagues, according to the club.
The club’s administrative director, Alberto Rigotto, said: “We plan to start construction in September, but the work will not in any way hinder existing activities.”
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