Cagliari’s long-planned new stadium project has run into significant legal and financial obstacles, jeopardising not only the club’s ambitions but also its hopes of serving as a host venue for Euro 2032.
What was once seen as a landmark development for the Sardinian club now faces serious delays and disagreements with city authorities over how the scheme should be financed and owned, an impasse that could push back construction unless key issues are resolved quickly.
According to Stadium DB, the centre of the dispute is a clash over the land rights and financial model for the new stadium, which is planned on the site of the old Sant’Elia ground.
Cagliari wants a 50-year surface rights agreement to control both the stadium and surrounding land, an arrangement it says will make financing and banking negotiations viable.
However, the city government has refused, insisting the land remain publicly owned with only a concession granted to the club, a stance aimed at protecting public interest but one that has stalled formal approval.
Legal standstill and financial disagreement
Another point of contention is the nominal concession fee proposed by Cagliari, which is €50,000 a year, but the municipal officials argue is far too low given a project costing well over €218 million.
They say the fee does not reflect the investment’s real value and falls short of prudent public spending standards, forcing the club to revise its financial plans and delaying progress to the next stage of the approval process.
The stadium is being designed to accommodate roughly 25,000 spectators, expandable to around 30,000 for UEFA tournaments, with the aim of meeting UEFA Category 4 standards and Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) criteria for sustainability.
However, the current standstill over ownership rights and fee structures means the project has yet to move beyond paperwork and into groundworks.
Euro 2032 aspirations under threat
With Italy set to co-host Euro 2032 alongside Turkey, and UEFA issuing a warning to Italy over outdated stadiums ahead of the tournament, local stakeholders had hoped the new stadium could be among the tournament’s venues, bringing international matches to Sardinia.
However, the ongoing disagreements and postponed approvals now put that possibility at risk, as construction timelines tighten and deadlines loom for hosting certification.
Negotiations continue between the club, city authorities and regional officials, with both parties publicly stating they wish to find common ground.
Yet entrenched positions on control of the land and sustainable financing suggest a solution will require a quick compromise, if Cagliari is to avoid missing out on both its own stadium and a chance to feature on the big European stage.
FGG Says
Cagliari’s stadium shows how bureaucracy and conflicting priorities can stall even the most promising football infrastructure projects. On paper, a modern stadium in Sardinia would be a huge win for the club, the city and Italy’s Euro 2032 ambitions.
In practice, the legal tug-of-war over land rights and concession fees shows how sensitive public-private partnerships can be when community long-term interest clashes with commercial viability. Unless both sides move past posturing and find a pragmatic balance, this project could become another cautionary tale of a stadium postponed, and a host city disappointed.