Bologna have set out a new stadium plan that could reshape the club’s place in the city and its capacity to compete over the long term, with a proposed 35,000-seat arena at the northern edge of the BolognaFiere district. The project carries an estimated cost of around €300 million and is being positioned for completion in time for the 2031-32 season, while also keeping Bologna in contention as a potential host city for Euro 2032.
Key takeaways
- The proposed stadium would hold 35,000 spectators and be built in the northern BolognaFiere area.
- Bologna and BolognaFiere have reached an agreement to develop the new multi-purpose venue.
- The Municipality of Bologna is due to submit the project to the FIGC as part of the city’s Euro 2032 hosting bid.
- Construction is scheduled to finish in spring 2031, allowing Bologna to move in for the following campaign.
- The plan includes a retractable roof and a movable pitch for concerts, exhibitions and large live events.
- Chief executive Claudio Fenucci said further investors will be needed alongside BolognaFiere and owner Joey Saputo.
A stadium intended to serve club and city
The proposed arena is designed as more than a replacement home for Sunday football. Its movable playing surface would allow the central space to be cleared for concerts, major live productions, trade fairs and conferences, while the roof is planned to be retractable.
That wider use is central to Bologna’s case for the development. The club see the facility as a long-term source of additional revenue, one capable of supporting stronger sporting competitiveness while giving the city a venue for international-scale sporting, cultural, musical and exhibition activity.
Fenucci described the agreement as an important first move rather than the end of the process. He said the intended stadium would offer high standards in digital services and hospitality, as well as the matchday experience itself. But he also made clear that the financial structure is not yet complete: BolognaFiere and Saputo’s commitment will need to be matched by outside investors who share the wider development vision.
“This is an important first step towards a modern, multi-functional stadium,” Fenucci said. “It should enable Bologna to create resources over time and improve its sporting competitiveness. But it is a significant investment, and investors will be needed in addition to BolognaFiere and Joey Saputo.”
The 2031 target and Euro 2032 ambition
The timetable identifies spring 2031 as the intended point of completion. Bologna would then aim to begin the 2031-32 season in the new ground, with the venue ready to operate should UEFA require it for Euro 2032.
Bologna City Council is set to forward the plan to the FIGC, seeking to place the city among the possible Italian venues for the European Championship. The bid therefore gives the project a national deadline as well as a club one.
Access has been built into the early concept. The site is expected to have a dedicated motorway exit and railway stop, two nearby ring-road exits, a stop on the new tram line and substantial parking provision. The preliminary design has been prepared by architect Eloy Suárez of Studio SHESA and Professor Massimo Majowiecki of MJW Structures, both experienced in major sporting and complex structural projects.
For Bologna, the stadium question is no longer simply about upgrading facilities. It is becoming a test of whether a club that has regained weight in Serie A can build the infrastructure to sustain that progress through the next decade.
