Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Champions League Final Venue - 2009
The Stadio Olimpico in Rome has been selected as the host of the 2009 Champions League final. The famous stadium is the host of two Serie A teams, Lazio and Roma, and plays host to massive crowds throughout the Italian football season. The Stadio Olimpico is also regarded at the home of the Italian national football team.
At present the Champions League final venue is capable of seating 83,000 football fans, and offers covered seating and excellent views of on-pitch action to all spectators. Extensive renovations are planned for 2007 and 2008 as the venue is prepared to host the 2009 Champions League final. Renovations are likely to see a decrease in capacity and improvements in ticketing and turnstile technology.
Stadio Olimpico History
Construction of the original Stadio Olimpico began in 1928 and was completed in 1932. The stadium was originally intended to host a wide variety of sports, but quickly developed into Mussolini's venue of choice for public gatherings, and hosted the 1938 Fascist Conference attended by Adolf Hitler.
Following the Second World War renovations began at the stadium in preparation for the 1960 Summer Olympics. After the Olympics the stadium remained a popular venue for athletics and was also chosen to by both Lazio and Roma to host their home games.
The Olympic Stadium was renowned for its aesthetically pleasing design which made use of the natural bowl shape of the building site to construct a relatively low structure that blended in with the surrounding landscape of the historic Foro Italico, whilst still providing the stadium's owners with significant crowd capacity.
In 1987 the Stadio Olimpico underwent its third round of massive renovations in preparation for the 1990 FIFA World Cup finals. The project ultimately saw much of the historic stadium demolished and built from scratch. The renovations saw the Champions League final venue's seating capacity increased to the current 83,000 person limit.
The Stadio Olimpico Today
Continuous renovations have seen the Stadio Olimpico stay abreast of advances in stadium technology, which has in turn earned the stadium a coveted five-star stadium rating from UEFA.
These changes also mean that the Stadio Olimpico is unlikely to see the 2009 Champions League final re-assigned when UEFA reviews the eligibility of various European stadiums to host the Champions League final in the aftermaths of the disastrous 2007 final in Athens.
