Gabriele Gravina called the new Stadio Artemio Franchi ‘a gift to the city of Florence and Fiorentina’ at the project’s presentation today.
The stadium was built in 1931 and is owned by the Municipality of Florence, rather than Fiorentina themselves. It has been used to host World Cup matches in two different tournaments, back in 1934 and in 1990.
Speaking at the presentation of the new Stadio Artemio Franchi in Palazzo Vecchio today, FIGC president Gabriele Gravina discussed the lack of modern stadiums in Italy and the importance of the work at the stadium in Florence.
“We are a little tied down by excessive bureaucracy and a lack of initiative on the part of the private sector.
“The issue of stadiums is topical, tomorrow is now and we can no longer lose ground if we want to recover all that we have lost. I hope that this initiative will be a stimulus for many other realities.
“Nardella and I have been talking for a long time, and we have managed to put together the history of our football, both for the national team and Fiorentina. This is a gift we are giving to the city, to Fiorentina, to the national team, but also to all the fans of our football.”
The Municipality of Florence unveiled the winning project for the renovations at the Stadio Artemio Franchi earlier today in the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio. Many notable figures are there, such as former Viola star Gabriele Batistuta, Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini and ex-player Giancarlo Antognoni.
Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso was incredibly keen to build a new stadium in Florence owned entirely by the Viola but he was bogged down by bureaucracy throughout his work.