Roma’s long-running pursuit of a new stadium has reached a historic milestone after government commissioner Massimo Sessa announced the release of the single authorization for the Pietralata project.
The decision came at the conclusion of the final Services Conference and clears the most important administrative obstacle facing the proposed stadium. It allows the project to advance toward the remaining technical and executive stages required before construction can begin.
Sessa Announces Approval of Roma’s New Stadium
The final meeting brought together approximately 50 institutional and technical bodies involved in assessing the project. Before entering the conference, Sessa had already expressed confidence that the process was approaching a positive conclusion.
“This is something that began in the 1980s with former Roma president Dino Viola,” Sessa said. “Today, there is finally certainty about doing something that benefits the city, the supporters and everyone. We have the modern vision of a stadium that will be open and alive 365 days a year.”
The authorization represents the culmination of a process accelerated through Sessa’s role as extraordinary commissioner for the Italian stadiums connected to Euro 2032. The project had already been classified as strategically important, while the administrative timetable was shortened to facilitate a final decision. ANSA previously reported that the concluding conference represented the final major step before work could begin.
What the Authorization Means for Roma
The decision does not mean construction machinery will immediately move onto the Pietralata site. Roma must first incorporate the conditions and recommendations submitted during the Services Conference into the plans.
The club will also need to complete the necessary documentation and progress from the feasibility stage toward the final executive phase.
Nevertheless, the significance of the authorization is enormous. It resolves the central approval process around which the entire operation depended and provides the legal and administrative basis for Roma to take the project forward.
The latest development follows a series of favourable opinions from the participating authorities. The project previously received seven additional positive assessments, including decisions covering environmental and technical aspects of the proposal.
Construction Targeted for Spring 2027
The current timetable reportedly aims for the remaining design work to be completed before the end of 2026, with construction beginning in spring 2027.
Work would then be targeted for completion by 2031, allowing the stadium to become a candidate venue for matches during Euro 2032. The new arena was included among the priority projects connected to Italy’s preparations for the tournament.
Those dates remain objectives rather than guarantees. Roma must satisfy the conditions attached to the authorization, complete the executive plans and move through the procurement and construction phases without substantial delays.
The final Services Conference had been scheduled for September 28, following years of planning and institutional discussions.
A 60,605-Seat Home for Roma
The Pietralata project proposes a stadium with a capacity of 60,605, including a Curva Sud designed to accommodate approximately 23,000 supporters.
The arena would form part of a wider redevelopment of the surrounding district and is intended to operate throughout the year, rather than exclusively on matchdays. Roma’s plans include extensive public spaces and improvements to the local infrastructure.
Roma Capitale previously stated that the overall development covers 27 hectares, including approximately 15 hectares of outdoor public space, while the club’s projected investment was valued at more than €1 billion. The city described the stadium as a modern sporting venue and a new urban hub for Pietralata.
Roma’s Decades-Long Stadium Pursuit Takes Its Biggest Step
The ambition to give Roma a permanent home stretches back more than four decades. Dino Viola explored the possibility during his presidency, while subsequent ownership groups launched projects that ultimately failed to reach construction.
The Friedkin Group’s proposal has now progressed further by obtaining the decisive authorization required to move toward the building phase.
There is still work to complete before the first foundations can be laid, and the project remains subject to technical requirements and prescribed safeguards. The decisive administrative barrier, however, has now been cleared.
Pietralata is no longer merely the proposed location of Roma’s future stadium. Following the release of the single authorization, it is the site where the club can begin turning that ambition into reality.
Gualtieri Targets Early 2027 Construction Start
Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri welcomed the successful conclusion of the Services Conference and outlined an ambitious construction timetable: “This is the first major new venue that will allow Rome to take a step forward at football level, while also representing an important redevelopment of a part of our city. The conditions are now in place to proceed quickly, open the construction site at the beginning of 2027 and have the stadium ready within three years. The construction work is expected to last precisely two and a half years, so the stadium could even be ready in 2029.”
Municipio Roma IV president Massimiliano Umberti also commented following the conference: “The positive opinion of the Services Conference represents a fundamental step on the path toward building Roma’s new stadium in Pietralata. As Municipio IV, we are following this project very closely because we are talking about a development destined to have a profound effect on the future of a strategic part of our territory. For us, the stadium is not only a sporting venue. It can represent an extraordinary opportunity for regeneration, development and growth for Pietralata and the entire surrounding area. Our priority is for a transformation of this scale to engage with the local community and produce tangible benefits for those who live in these neighbourhoods every day.
“Pietralata has the opportunity to become one of the symbols of Rome’s transformation, capable of combining sport, services, public spaces, mobility and new development opportunities. It is a challenge that we must approach with ambition. We want the change generated by the stadium to extend beyond the boundaries of the venue and become an opportunity to improve the quality of the urban environment while making our territory increasingly attractive, modern and vibrant.
“Municipio Roma IV will continue to follow every subsequent stage within its jurisdiction closely, keeping the public interest, residents’ needs and the enhancement of the local area at the centre of the process. Today’s positive conclusion of the Services Conference marks another important step forward in the administrative process. We want this significant opportunity to contribute to the growth and enhancement of Pietralata and the whole of Municipio IV.”
Sessa: “The Authorization Is Effective—We Are Moving Forward”
Commissioner Massimo Sessa also spoke at the conclusion of the Services Conference: “Things went as they were supposed to go. When matters are organized properly, conducted in compliance with the regulations and approached in the spirit of good administration, it is clear that this becomes the concluding event. We had managed the potential complications in advance, and this is a great result. The authorization is effective—we are moving forward. There will be coordinated cooperation with Roma Capitale, which is the contracting authority, to use the commissioner’s powers whenever necessary to accelerate the tender procedures. There will now be a compliance review of the conditions that we presented today. The tender will follow, and we will have to work on different stages simultaneously to reduce the timetable. When so many administrations are being coordinated—and AS Roma also made a significant technical and administrative effort—it is right that the satisfaction with the final result is shared by everyone.”
AS Roma Celebrates “Historic Milestone” for New Stadium
AS Roma issued an official statement following the successful conclusion of the decision-making Services Conference: “The conclusion of the decision-making Services Conference, and the resulting declaration of public utility, marks a fundamental and historic milestone for AS Roma on the path towards the construction of its new stadium. This achievement rewards years of work, commitment and collaboration, pursued with determination, vision and continuity by the Friedkin Family, in the belief that AS Roma’s future must be built through solid and ambitious projects. The Club wishes to share this milestone with all the institutions and stakeholders who have contributed to making it possible. AS Roma would like to thank Roma Capitale, the UEFA EURO 2032 Commissioner, the Lazio Region, the Minister for Sport and Youth, all the public authorities and bodies involved, as well as the professionals and collaborators who have supported this process with expertise and responsibility. Special thanks go to our fans, who have waited for and supported this project with passion and trust. A new phase now begins, with the goal of providing AS Roma and the city with a modern, sustainable stadium worthy of their history and ambitions. This project is conceived not only as a new home for the Club and its supporters, but as an asset for Rome as a whole, capable of creating new opportunities, contributing to the regeneration and development of the surrounding area, and delivering lasting benefits for the entire city and its community.”
Source: AS Roma
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