FANS have reacted with horror to a new stadium renovation in Italy – claiming it will turn an iconic arena into a “toilet bowl”.
Social media erupted after plans for the new 30,000-seater stadium were released on Saturday.
The Renato Dall’Ara Stadium has stood since 1927 and is one of Italy’s more picturesque grounds.
With uncovered sections and sloping terraces, it remains one of Serie A’s most recognisable stadiums and incorporates nearby architecture into the stands.
The £167million renovations include building a huge domed roof, as well as removing metal structures put in place for the 1990 World Cup.
But one fan raged on X: “This is awful, destroying a very good arena for modern football. So bad tbh.”
Another said: “Unfortunately another impersonal concrete statement. This ruins our football culture.”
While a third fumed: “Another traditional stadium with character turned into a futuristic toilet bowl.”
Bologna are keen to renovate the stadium to get it ready for Euro 2032.
They will play at a temporary venue east of the city while the work is completed.
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Areas to the north of the ground on Via Andrea Costa are also set to be upgraded.
Following the dramatic changes, the stadium – which is hosting Champions League football this season – will be upgraded to Uefa Category 4, the highest level.
The club plans to reduce the capacity to slightly over 30,000, down from the current 36,000.
Announcing a partnership with Webuild until 2027, Bologna want to make the stadium “in line with the best in the world.”
In a statement, the club wrote: “All the seats will have an excellent view of the action due to the proximity of the stands to the pitch, at around 7 metres from the field of play.
“Given the Webuild group’s world-class expertise in stadium design, the aim of the project — which involves a total investment of €200 million — is to renovate and increase the value of the ground, founded in 1927, while maintaining its public ownership.
“The Dall’Ara will become a high-class facility used seven days a week, in line with the best stadiums in the world.”
By Dan King
UEFA sold the idea of expanding the Champions League from 32 to 36 teams, with each playing eight games instead of six in the opening phase, as a way of creating more competitiveness and excitement.
The biggest clubs would have two matches against their peers, rather than having to wait until the knockout stage to meet.
The smaller clubs would meet teams of a similar level twice and have a chance of tasting victory that was so hard to achieve if you were the bottom seed in a group of four.
Ignoring for a moment the fact that the real motivation was the simple equation of more games = more money, the theory itself already looks flawed.
None of the matches between European giants has delivered a compelling contest yet.
And why would they? At the start of the long season with more matches in it, why would any team with ambitions to win things in the spring, go out all guns blazing in the autumn?
Especially when they know they have six games NOT against big sides to make sure they accrue enough points to qualify at least for the play-off round (and even more games).
There is even less jeopardy than before.
Read the full column on the Champions League format fail and why everyone – including YOU – needs a rethink.
Bologna enjoyed a superb Serie A season in 2023-24, finishing 5th and qualifying for the Champions League.
It was their highest-placed finish since 1971.
So far this campaign, a series of frustrating draws have kept the club away from the European spots.
They currently sit 9th in the league, despite losing just one of their opening 10 games.
