The Udine city council and Udinese Calcio are relaunching the Stadio 2.0 redevelopment plans for Bluenergy Stadium/Stadio Friuli, the heart of Friulian sport and a cornerstone for the entire community. The aim is an ambitious one: to turn the stadium – which already leads the way in Italy for energy sustainability and fan experience – into a centre with a wealth of year-round services offering exceptional benefits for the entire city and the wider region.
Besides being an avant-garde facility in terms of environmental sustainability, Bluenergy Stadium/Stadio Friuli already hosts over 150 events per year. Thanks to a modern, multi-purpose design, it has been able to stage many big sports events, such as international matches for the Italy football and rugby teams, and big concerts, including the likes of Zucchero and Negramaro last summer.
“When we took up office, the Stadio 2.0 project had been put on hold for several years due to bureaucratic difficulties,” said the mayor of Udine, Alberto Felice De Toni. “Thanks to the collaboration of council offices and Udinese Calcio, we have managed to overcome the impasse and approve the change of intended use necessary to get the project up and running again. I would like to personally thank the deputy major [Alessandro] Venanzi and councillor [Pierenrico] Scalettaris for all of the hard work they have put in to achieve this.
“The Stadio Friuli is one of the city’s biggest assets, a place where sport is played at the highest level, projecting Udine’s image onto the international stage. With the Stadio 2.0 project, our city will become even more groundbreaking by offering fans and all citizens one of the best, all-round facilities in Europe.”
“Bluenergy Stadium is seen as a model stadium internationally,” pointed out Udinese Calcio administrative director Alberto Rigotto. “Today we are particularly happy as the city council’s approval has finally put an end to years of obstacles and red tape which deprived our community of a great project like Stadio 2.0. We thank the mayor De Toni and the municipality of Udine for their collaboration. We believe this approval is an important step that will bring even more benefits to the city of Udine and Friuli Venezia Giulia, both of which have already reaped huge advantages in appeal terms since Udinese built the new stadium, with all the big international events we’ve been able to host in our jewel. Now, at long last – once the details have been finalised – we will be able to finish our plans to turn Bluenergy Stadium into a sustainable hub of services for the community 365 days a year.”
Udinese Calcio has envisaged a wide range of potential amenities in the 20,000 square metres of space inside the facility.
There will be a shopping area of up to 1,500 square metres, with shops for clothes and technology, chemists and health stores, in addition to food areas that can be open every day – not just during matches and other sports events.
The new stadium will also host work areas such as coworking spaces, professional offices and conference centres.
Local tourism will be promoted too – in agreement with the economic sectors – as well as culture, with the possibility of building a Friuli Venezia Giulia Museum of Sport.
Part of the internal area could be turned into a hotel to be used by opposition teams and visitors in general.
Another potential development is multi-purpose areas for young people, such as a music school and areas for concerts, dance displays, rehearsal rooms and recording rooms.
Sports facilities will feature too with the construction of an equipped fitness area, a swimming pool and a medical centre for physiotherapy, rehabilitation and specialist practices.
Soon Bluenergy Stadium/Stadio Friuli will not only stage big sports events and concerts – it will become a hub for the local community capable of attracting visitors and creating new opportunities for the economy and tourism, while strengthening the bond between the city of Udine and Udinese Calcio.