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Ceferin slams Italy: Their stadiums are a disgrace

2025-05-07 16:25:00, Sport CNA

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has raised serious concerns about the state of stadiums and sports infrastructure in Italy, ahead of the organization of the 2032 European Football Championship, which will be held in cooperation between Italy and Turkey.

During an interview given to Italian television 'Mediaset', on the occasion of the Champions League semi-final between Inter and Barcelona, ??Ceferin gave a critical assessment of the current conditions of the sports infrastructure in the host country.

Speaking directly, Ceferin stressed that the sports infrastructure in Italy is at an unacceptable level for a country with a rich history in football.

According to him, Italy, although one of the most successful nations in football history with numerous international trophies, including World Cups, European Championships and Champions League titles, has lagged behind in terms of developing and modernizing its sports infrastructure compared to other major European countries.

He stated that the current situation does not correspond to the position that Italy has in international football and called for concrete measures, expressing his fatigue at repeated discussions without concrete solutions. Ceferin stressed that Italian clubs need multifaceted support, from the central government, local municipalities and private investors, to make it possible to improve conditions.

"I think the infrastructure of Italian football is a disgrace. It is one of the biggest football countries, where it has won the World Cup, the European Championships, the Champions League and among the big countries, it has the worst infrastructure. To be honest, I am a little tired of these Italian discussions about infrastructure, because there are only words. I hope that Italy will do something. The clubs need help from the government, the municipalities and also from private investors. It is time to act, because the situation is terrible," he said.

Regarding the organization of EURO 2032, Ceferin said he is not yet worried, stressing that he trusts the ability of the Italian authorities to take measures. He mentioned his confidence in the president of the Italian Football Federation, Gabriele Gravina, who also holds the position of first vice-president of UEFA.

According to Ceferin, Gravina has the will and ability to take the necessary steps and ensure that Italy will fulfill all obligations related to organizing the 2032 European tournament.

These statements come at a key moment for Italian football, which is facing the challenge of modernizing its infrastructure and preparing for one of the biggest sporting events on the continent.

Attention is now focused on the responsible institutions to determine the concrete path that will be followed in the coming years to meet the standards required by UEFA.