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Stadio Luigi Ferraris up for sale, says Mayor of Genoa

Mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci has said that the Stadio Luigi Ferraris is up for sale, while also raising the possibility of building a new football stadium in the Italian city.

The 36,000-seat stadium serves as the home of Serie A football clubs Genoa and Sampdoria. It is currently owned by the Municipality of Genoa but Bucci said that offers for the stadium will be considered.

Genoa has played at the venue since it opened in 1911, with Sampdoria having called the stadium home since 1946. It was reported in 2018 that Sampdoria was in talks to buy the stadium but ultimately a deal was not reached.

In an interview with Tuttosport, Bucci said: “My position is simple: the stadium is for sale. Now, the owners of the Ferraris are the Genoese citizens who are asking for a significant investment to do many things.

“We are also willing to sell it to a company other than the two Serie A clubs of course, if it came up with a convincing proposal. And we are also able to evaluate projects that envisage the possible construction of another stadium.

“Staying with the Ferraris, the ideal situation would be for Sampdoria and Genoa to buy the stadium or alternatively rent it for a long time so that they could invest in it. We need a stadium that can offer services and that can be a cutting-edge venue.”

The stadium, which is also known as the Marassi, was one of the host venues at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

Image: Gabriel Rinaldi