Italian Serie A football club Empoli has agreed a partnership with construction company Pessina Costruzioni that will lead to a complete overhaul of its Stadio Carlo Castellani in what be the first project of its kind in Italy.
Empoli has called the Stadio Carlo Castellani, which currently holds around 16,800 fans, home since 1965. The new-look stadium is intended to be a pilot project in Italy for the construction of a top-class sports facility financed through a public-private partnership.
The revamped Stadio Carlo Castellani will accommodate around 20,000 fans and will be built on the site of the existing stadium. Three of the four stands will be completely rebuilt, with Empoli stating the stadium will be surrounded by an innovative external structure.
Empoli said the stadium will also be sustainable from a social, economic and environmental perspective thanks to a configuration that will make it a zero emissions facility.
Guido Stefanelli, CEO of Pessina Costruzioni, said: “The agreement reached with Empoli for the redevelopment of the Stadio Carlo Castellani is a great satisfaction for us and will be cutting-edge work among sports facilities, both from an architectural point of view and from the financial and management formula.
“After the first velodrome in project financing of the Olympic category, which we are building in Spresiano, this in Empoli will be the first stadium realised with project finance. With pride we were among the pioneers in Italy, using it in healthcare, then the arts-museums and now in sport. Empoli fans, if all goes well, in two years will have their state-of-the-art stadium and also other football fans will be able to admire work that represents the future of sports facilities.”
Empoli CEO Francesco Ghelfi added: “The signature of the agreement with Pessina Costruzioni is the result of a relationship that has intensified in recent months and is in fact for Empoli FC and the whole city a dream that takes shape, something absolutely unthinkable until a few years ago.
“We will soon present the project to the municipality, convinced of a positive response from an administration that has always been sensitive and collaborative towards the club.”
Image: Empoli FC
Share this