UEFA executives: Only Juventus’ Allianz Stadium in Italy meets the standards for Euro 2032

According to Turin Sports News on November 20, the two-day International Football Summit kicked off. The summit is dedicated to discussing the development of the global football industry, focusing on Italian stadium infrastructure and the sustainable development of Italian football.

The Allianz Stadium, the home stadium of Juventus, is currently the only Italian stadium that fully meets the standards of the 2032 European Cup. At this summit, the issue of football infrastructure became the core topic of discussion.

Michel Uva, former UEFA vice-president and current UEFA executive director of social and environmental sustainability, emphasized the importance of sustainable development in the interview, especially for the 2032 European Cup, which is coming in the short term.

Uva first affirmed the Italian Football Association's efforts in this regard: "The Italian Football Association is one of the first institutions in Europe to learn and implement our sustainable development strategic thinking. Italian business partners and all walks of life have also given strong support to this. I think everyone has awareness of this, but obviously this is a long-term process."

"The important thing is that we have laid the foundation, and many Serie A clubs have sustainable development policies. We are on the right track."

"Sustainable development is based on five interrelated pillars: financial, sporting, environmental, social and cultural. Each football association within UEFA is following its own path, but our goal is to integrate them into a common sustainable development strategy."

Uva pointed out that the club has begun to put the sustainable development strategy into practice. He also mentioned the actual impact of football on the climate:

"The carbon emissions of European football are very low, only 0.0000001%. We in the football community can do our part to reduce carbon emissions, but we cannot expect to rely on football alone to save the earth."

Uva is optimistic about Italy's prospects of hosting the 2032 European Cup. He said: "When it originally applied for the 2032 European Cup, Italy acted very proactively and with determination. Italy has time to prepare five stadiums that meet UEFA requirements before October 1, 2026. Currently, only Juventus's Allianz Stadium in Italy has reached European Cup standards, and 12 other Italian stadiums are competing for the remaining four spots."

Uva pointed out that Italy has not hosted a major football event since 1990: "Infrastructure problems may be. It is the main obstacle that prevents Italy from bidding for the football competition. UEFA's goal is to help the Italian Football Association promote infrastructure construction by bidding for or hosting the European Cup. "This means that Italy's acquisition of the right to host the 2032 European Cup is not only due to technical considerations, but also political and other factors.

UEFA’s requirements for the European Cup stadium are very clear: a modern, versatile and sustainable stadium. "Stadium facilities are very important, and I think everyone should have the right to watch football matches in a covered stadium with multi-functional services. Everyone has realized that the pace needs to be accelerated."

Of the 132 European Cup bidding parameters, about 20% are related to sustainability, which is an important signal for the new direction of European football.

Juventus’ Allianz Arena’s unique position in Europe and its contribution to sustainability have sparked discussions about the modernization of Italian football stadiums. Uva said:

"Italy wants to have more modern stadiums. Although the Allianz Stadium is more than 20 years old, it still gives people an impression of versatility and modernity."

"Everything is changing, including fans and society's expectations of football stadiums, and the Italian Football Association is also pursuing flexibility rather than closing it off. In the future, they can increase stadium capacity without requiring huge investments and maintain operational flexibility."

Regarding the impact of hosting the 2032 European Cup on Italian football, Uva said: "The process of upgrading Italian football infrastructure has been accelerated due to the arrival of the 2032 European Cup, but only five stadiums from Parma to Empo will be renovated. Things are picking up pace at some other Italian stadiums, knowing that the stadium is the first point of contact with the community. "In other words, not all Italian stadiums will be upgraded for the Euros, but this grand football event has already created a ripple effect in Italy, activating some that have been stagnant for years. Project."

Finally, Uwa talked about his career plan: "The term of a UEFA official is usually 4 to 6 years, so I think my career in this field is coming to an end. I think it is the right choice to leave a football legacy that can stand the test of history in 5 years."source:7m vn livescore