The never-ending stadium story

The fact that the FCS can dream of the first league is new. On the other hand, the discussion about how big a sports arena in South Tyrol should be is old - just think of the debate about the planned and later rejected construction of a stadium for FC Südtirol in Leifers.

That was 15 years ago now. The example from Cagliari shows that it is possible to more than double the spectator capacity in the Drusus Stadium within a few months. An entire stadium was built there in one summer. The “Unipol Domus”, the current home of Cagliari, stands in the parking lot of the old Sant'Elia stadium. Work began in May 2017 and four months later, in September, the Sardinians played their first Serie A game in the new arena. The construction of this alternative stadium, which is now the venue for the game between Cagliari and FC Südtirol, cost 4 million euros.

For Serie A, the Drususstadion would need space for 12.000 fans. © FC South Tyrol

The Sant'Elia, which was Cagliari's home stadium for almost 50 years, will be demolished and rebuilt for around 150 million euros. But the Sardinian stadium, once so impressive and now falling into disrepair, still stands. Until a new football arena rises in its place, Cagliari will play in the 16.000-seat “Unipol Domus”, which will be dismantled once the new home stadium is completed. This will definitely take a few years.

Cagliari's stadium problem The decline of the Sant'Elia Stadium, named after the district of the same name, began in 2002 when steel stands had to be erected on the athletics track because, with the exception of the main stand, the dilapidated spectator stands posed a safety risk. These problems and the failed construction project of their own stadium near the airport due to resistance from the aviation authority led to Cagliari even switching to Trieste in the spring of 2012 and building a small stadium in Quartu Sant'Elena, a 2012-seat stadium, in the 13/70.000 season. A community of residents near the Sardinian capital was chosen as a new home stadium, expanded and made suitable for Serie A.

It was a disaster - Cagliari was able to play 14 games there, only 7 in front of an audience because there were always safety concerns. The controversy ultimately led to several arrests; Massimo Cellino, the then Cagliari club boss and current Brescia president, was arrested in February 2013 on charges of embezzlement and document falsification in connection with the construction of the new stadium in Quartu. Cagliari played the last home games of that season and the first of the 2013/14 season in Trieste before returning to the Sant'Elia, whose spectator capacity has now been reduced to 16.000 in order to meet all safety requirements.

But the end of the Sant'Elia Stadium was sealed. The arena once held up to 70.000 fans. The stadium was built in 1970, after the legendary championship title that the Sardinians celebrated in the old “Amsicora” arena. For the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the Sant'Elia was adapted to meet FIFA criteria. The stadium, which hosted the three group games of the English national team, now had 40.000 seats. The memory of the Heysel disaster in 3 during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus was still fresh. In order to deal with the hooligan problem, it was decided to let the English play in Sardinia first, especially since arrival controls are much easier on an island. “Gigi” Riva scored the first goal at Sant'Elia in 1970. © AFP / CARLO BARONCINI

On September 1, 1991, Pierpaolo Bisoli made his Serie A debut at the Sant'Elia Stadium. It was his arena for 6 years. Today the FCS coach will look wistfully at his old stadium, where he experienced his greatest successes as a player. Once it is completely demolished, the “Gigi Riva” stadium will be built on the property. The legendary striker and Italy's record goalscorer scored the first goal at Sant'Elia in 1970. If Italy wins the EURO 2032, the tournament will also take place in Cagliari. The stadium already has a name, even if construction hasn't started yet. This is at least a start.

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1. Parma	33	59:32	69
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The never-ending stadium story

A possible promotion of FC Südtirol to Serie A and the necessary expansion of the Drususstadion to 12.000 seats - not only the local media had taken up this topic in the past few days.

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