Sawt Falasteen - City of Rome gives green light to new Roma stadium

Thirty-nine of the 44 city councillors agreed to the "technical and economic feasibility study" presented by the club for the project due to start in 2027.

"We are all very pleased, as there is a strong majority in favour of this stadium," said Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri.

"We imagine that construction could begin in the first half of 2027. We could then have it ready to host Euro 2032 matches."

Italy will co-host the European football championships in 2032 with Turkey.

However, the project still needs approval from various government agencies, particularly at the regional level.

Roma shares the city's Stadio Olimpico with arch-rivals Lazio, but both clubs have been vying for their own stadiums for several years.

The Giallorossi, controlled by the American Friedkin family, have been working for several months on a 60,000-seat stadium project in Pietralata, north-east of the city, with a total estimated cost of one billion euros.

Lazio, for their part, want to renovate the Stadio Flaminio, which has been abandoned since the Italian national rugby team stopped playing their Six Nations matches there.

"We are working with the same diligence on this project," said the mayor.

Italian stadiums have been a source of tension in the lead-up to Euro 2032.

Last May, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin described the state of the country's stadiums as "shameful".

Italy must this year propose five venues to host matches for the tournament.

T.Khatib--SF-PST