The Japan Times - UEFA chief Ceferin warns Italy could lose Euro 2032 without stadium improvements

Italy last hosted a major international football tournament in 1990 and many of its top stadiums were either built or refurbished for that World Cup.

Most of those are now in a sorry state.

"Euro 2032 is scheduled and will take place, of that there is no doubt. I just hope that the infrastructure (in Italy) will be ready. If that's not the case, the tournament will not be held in Italy," Ceferin said in an interview with the Gazzetta Dello Sport published on Thursday.

"Maybe Italy's politicians should ask themselves why the football infrastructure is among the worst in Europe."

Ceferin added that Italian football's biggest problem was "the relationship between the football authorities and politics".

In October, Italy has to name the five stadiums that will host matches at Euro 2032, with 11 cities currently candidates: Rome, Florence, Bologna, Verona, Milan, Genoa, Bari, Naples, Turin, Cagliari and Palermo.

Italy can present new stadiums or ones which need to be redeveloped as long as works begin by March 2027.

Only one, Juventus's Allianz Stadium in Turin, is completely ready to host matches at the summer international tournament.

Inter Milan and AC Milan recently purchased the San Siro from the city of Milan and are hoping to complete a new 71,500-capacity arena on the same site as the current stadium by 2031.

However, the public prosecutors' office in Italy's economic capital is probing the sale of the land for alleged bid-rigging.

Roma were given the green light by the local authorities in Rome to build a new stadium in the east of the Eternal City, while Fiorentina's Stadio Artemio Franchi is being redeveloped.

Last month the city of Naples presented a renovation project for the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, where Serie A champions Napoli play their matches.

The Maradona project, which includes the elimination of the running track which borders the pitch, has a budget of 200 million euros ($230 million) and was presented by mayor Gaetano Manfredi as something that needing doing "regardless of 2032".

K.Okada--JT