Euro News
Italian Jobs Thin on Ground
The pace of change remains slow in Italy, and
with the exception of the Italia 90 venues, standards in Serie A seem to have fallen below those
of the other major European Leagues. Atalanta
and Brescia, each saddled with outmoded
municipal stadia, are both searching for out-oftown sites for new grounds, whilst Reggina, who
successfully converted the traditional ovalshaped Stadio Oreste Granillo into a 25,000seat four-sided ground, may build in 2 or more
corners to take capacity over 30,000.
In Serie B, Tuscany side Siena hosted 8,000
fans for the first match in the partiallyredeveloped Stadio Artemio Franchi. Sensitivity towards the famous town’s skyline has meant
that Siena have installed floodlights which can be
lowered when not in use. Cagliari President
Cellino has floated the idea of buying the Stadio
Sant’Elia, not the most atmospheric stadium in
the country, with a view to creating a more compact 20,000-seat venue. Crotone have redeveloped 2 stands at the Stadio Enzo Scidao to take
capacity up by 4,000 to 12,000, whilst Venezia
are desperate to start work on a brand new
stadium for 28,000 in the district of Tessera near
the airport. Relegated from Serie A in June, their
existing Stadio Penzo has just one permanent
stand and Venezia had the lowest gates in the
top flight last season.
In Serie C1, Lucchese have finished a new
stand for home fans at the Stadio Porta Elisa,
and work has begun on a new away stand to
make a final capacity of 12,500. Away fans also
have a new stand at La Spezia’s stunning 12,000
seat Stadio Picco.
Serie C2 South club Giugliano inaugurated
their redeveloped Stadio Cristofaro with a
match against Napoli, and we hope to have
news in the next issue of Sicilian club Messina’s
new stadium. C2 Central outfit Rondinella
Impruneta will play in the sumptuous surrounds
of Florence’s Stadio Artemio Franchi whilst the
Stadio Due Strade is improved.
Finally, an amatuer side has moved into the
stadium described by Simon Inglis as “the oldest
venue in the world ever to have staged first-class
football” – the Arena Civica in Milan. Brera
Milano, from the ranks of the “Dilettanti” will play
at the historic 25,000 capacity Arena, which was
opened in 1807 and retains much of its original
character. Inter Milan played at the Arena from
1912 to just after the Second World War, and the
national side has also played there.
Groundtastic
Estadio
ing’s Soete Stadion gets remedial attention. Bloso-Park actually has three grounds within the same complex, the main one
possessing a 1,500-seat stand. Kontich FC, newly promoted
to Division Four from the Antwerp Provincial League, have
opened a new 280-seat stand and facilities block at Duffelsesteenweg.
Several of Brussels’ ethnic-based clubs playing in the Brabant Provincial League have run into difficulties. FC Atlas, who
draw their players from the Moroccan community, have resigned from the League and are what the Dutch call ‘inactief’
at present. The club played at the superb Heysel Annexe
ground but are short of numbers and rumours of a possible
merger with Etoile Marocaine, another exile club who have
been ground-sharing with AS Maccabi Brussels, were unfounded. If FC Atlas makes a comeback, it would probably
have to be in the bottom division of the Brabant League. A
worse fate has befallen FC Marmara St Pieters-Leeuw, the
Turkish club based in the Anderlecht region. The club has
resigned from the Belgian FA altogether after being caught
fielding an ineligible player in a crucial game last season.
Better news from Brabant Provincial club FC Vilvoorde, who
have installed floodlights at their Brusselsesteenweg ground
just North of junction 6 of the Brussels Ring Road. Staying in
the capital, Etoile Dieleghem Jette, who were the first club in
Belgium to lay a synthetic pitch in 1988, have renewed it with a
Dutch-made surface that requires much less sand to maintain
it. The advantage of playing on plastic has seen EDJ rise to
the top rung of the Provincial ladder, but the next promotion (to
Division 4) would require them to play on a grass pitch, possibly at the Heysel Annexe. EDJ’s current Centre Sportif J J
Crocq is fairly basic, with three rows of terracing either side of
the floodlit surface.
Lastly, another merged club,