Featured image credit: US Lecce
Italian Serie A football club US Lecce has hailed the approval of a funding package that is set to allow extensive redevelopment of its Stadio Via del Mare to proceed.
The investment will come after a decree was signed approving the second part of the program of infrastructure works needed for the 2026 Mediterranean Games, with the multi-sport event due to be hosted by the nearby city of Taranto.
The measure follows the decree in April that approved investment of €168m (£144m/$183.4m), €11m of which was due to be directed towards the Via del Mare. The green light for a further €107m of investment for the Games includes a further €25m for Lecce’s stadium.
This will permit a redevelopment project that will centre on ensuring the stadium will be completely covered by a roof. With a current capacity of 31,461, the Via del Mare has been Lecce’s home since it first opened in 1966.
Lecce president, Saverio Sticchi Damiani, said: “I hoped from the beginning that the Mediterranean Games could represent an opportunity for a profound modernisation of the Via del Mare, to the point of dreaming of the total coverage of our facility, which will make it more modern, functional, welcoming and usable for our fans.
“Thanks to the efforts of all the institutions with whom I have had a constant and always constructive dialogue in these months, we have managed to obtain a sensational result for our city that will allow us both to have a cutting-edge facility and also to host a prestigious international sporting event.”
The news that the Via del Mare will undergo redevelopment comes after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) reiterated the need for investment in the country’s stadia infrastructure through its ReportCalcio.
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