UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has delivered a stark ultimatum to Italy, threatening to strip the country of its co-hosting duties for the 2032 European Championship if it fails to address critical stadium infrastructure deficiencies. In an exclusive interview with Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday, Ceferin reiterated his longstanding concerns about Italy's outdated football venues, warning that inaction could see the tournament relocated from Italian soil entirely.
Infrastructure Deadline Looms
The warning comes at a particularly sensitive time for Italian football, following the national team's failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time earlier this week. Italy is scheduled to co-host Euro 2032 alongside Turkey, but Ceferin was unequivocal about the consequences of infrastructure delays. "Euro 2032 is scheduled and will take place. I hope the infrastructure will be ready," he stated. "Otherwise, the tournament will not be played in Italy."
Stadium Development Crisis
Italy faces an October deadline to provide UEFA with a list of five stadiums suitable for hosting Euro 2032 matches. However, major Serie A clubs including AC Milan, Inter Milan, Lazio, and AS Roma have consistently encountered insurmountable obstacles in renovating or constructing new venues. These delays are primarily attributed to protracted negotiations with public authorities, who frequently own the facilities and complicate development processes.
Consultancy firm PwC has highlighted the severity of Italy's infrastructure gap through comparative data. Between 2007 and 2024, only six Italian stadiums were built or redeveloped, compared to 19 in Germany, 13 in England, and 12 in France. This stark contrast underscores the systemic challenges facing Italian football infrastructure.
Political Responsibility Emphasized
Ceferin explicitly absolved former Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina of responsibility for the infrastructure crisis, instead placing blame squarely on political figures. "Perhaps it is Italian politicians who should be asking themselves why Italy has some of the worst football infrastructure in Europe," he asserted. Gravina, who also served as UEFA's first vice-president, resigned during an extraordinary FIGC meeting on Thursday following intense domestic pressure related to Italy's latest competitive failure.
Defending Football Leadership
The UEFA president staunchly defended Gravina against critics, stating: "It is absolutely not Gabriele's responsibility, and I would never allow myself to attack either the players or the coach." He further criticized opportunistic detractors "who wait in hiding for something to go wrong so they can emerge and start criticising. They don't support Italy, they support themselves."
Ceferin also addressed Italy's recent penalty shootout loss to Bosnia in their World Cup play-off match, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of football. "Tell me, which Italian player wasn't called up and should have been? This is football, and even with the best players on the pitch, anyone can lose a match." Reuters has contacted the FIGC for comment regarding Ceferin's remarks, but no official response has been issued at this time.
