Parma has progressed with plans to redevelop its Stadio Ennio Tardini following last week’s US takeover of the Italian Serie A football club.
Nuovo Inizio, Parma’s former owner, had started the process, founding Progetto Stadio Parma, an entity designed to oversee the Tardini project and its subsequent management. The Krause Group last week completed a deal to take over Parma, with Kyle Krause becoming the Emilia-Romagna club’s new president.
Krause Group has acquired a 90% stake in Parma, with Nuovo Inizio retaining a nine per cent share and Parma Partecipazioni Calcistiche, the company that brings together fans as shareholders, holding a one per cent interest.
Krause Group will also take control of Progetto Stadio Parma, with a redevelopment plan now officially presented to the Municipality of Parma and set to undergo an authorisation process. The Tardini first opened in 1923 and has a current capacity of around 27,900.
The Gazzetta di Parma newspaper said the redevelopment intends to ensure the Tardini becomes a multi-purpose stadium, with a new roof to be built, an underground car park developed and commercial offerings such as a gym added.
Deputy Mayor with responsibility for sport, Marco Bosi, said: “We express satisfaction with the formal start of the procedure. The restructuring will finally allow us to have a facility that reduces inconvenience to residents, enhances the neighbourhood and allows fans to experience the match with a high standard of services.”
Fiorentina and Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo were among those who this month hailed the official ratification of new legislation designed to aid the development of sports infrastructure in Italy. The so-called ‘Sbloccastadi’, or stadium unblocker legislation, was approved by the Senate earlier this month and has now been voted through by parliament.
The legislation could also aid the Tardini project. Speaking at Friday’s press conference for the takeover, Krause said: “Our partners have done – and I say this with pride – an excellent job collaborating with the city to carry out the stadium project.
“Today in football there is a need to offer better experiences at the stadium level. I am very happy to make my contribution to this project, to give our fans and players the best possible experience. In America we have many modern stadiums. In Italy there are many interesting projects and I am very happy, because by working collectively you can do something very important to improve the infrastructure.
“I was told that building infrastructure in Italy can be a slow process, so I am very happy that my partners have moved on with the project.”
In other Serie A news, Inter Milan has signed a strategic partnership with AIM Sport to introduce digital overlay technology at the San Siro. The system, which has never been used in Italy before, will enable the club and its commercial partners to send geo-localised messages and marketing campaigns to different regions around the world via the pitchside LED boards.
After a period of testing, the technology will be rolled out for the start of the 2020-21 season at Inter’s home games. In March, Inter and AC Milan implemented a new digital system for the advertising boards around their stadium.
The clubs signed a strategic alliance with Tecnovision Ledwall and AIM Sport, in collaboration with MI-Stadio, to deliver the new system.
Image: Parma
