UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has issued a stern warning that Italy risks losing its position as co-host of the 2032 European Championship if the country fails to improve its football infrastructure. Speaking in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday, Ceferin reiterated his previous concerns about Italy’s outdated stadiums, while expressing support for Gabriele Gravina, the former president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) who recently resigned.
Italy, which failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time following a penalty shootout loss to Bosnia on Tuesday, is set to co-host Euro 2032 alongside Turkey. Ceferin emphasized the importance of infrastructure readiness, stating, “Euro 2032 is scheduled and will take place. I hope the infrastructure will be ready. Otherwise, the tournament will not be played in Italy.”
Italy is required to submit a list of five stadiums to UEFA by October to host Euro 2032 matches. However, several prominent clubs, including AC Milan, Inter Milan, Lazio, and AS Roma, have encountered difficulties in renovating or rebuilding their stadiums due to complications with public authorities, who often own these venues.
Data from consultancy firm PwC reveals that only six Italian stadiums have been constructed or redeveloped between 2007 and 2024, a stark contrast to 19 in Germany, 13 in England, and 12 in France. Despite these shortcomings, Ceferin absolved Gravina of responsibility, instead attributing the issue to Italian politicians. “Perhaps it is Italian politicians who should be asking themselves why Italy has some of the worst football infrastructure in Europe,” he remarked.
Gravina, who also served as UEFA’s first vice-president, stepped down on Thursday during an extraordinary FIGC meeting amid intense domestic criticism following the national team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup. Ceferin defended Gravina, insisting, “It is absolutely not Gabriele’s responsibility, and I would never allow myself to attack either the players or the coach.”
He further condemned critics who, in his view, seize on failures to launch attacks. “They don’t support Italy, they support themselves. 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,” Ceferin added, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the sport.
