Stadio Olimpico

Stadio Olimpico
Olimpico
Location	Rome, Italy
Broke ground	1901
Built	1910
Opened	1930
Renovated	1990
Expanded	1990
Owner	Italian National Olympic Committee
Surface	Grass 105 × 68 m
Architect	Annibale Vitellozzi[1]
Capacity	72,698
Tenants
Società Sportiva Lazio Associacione Sportiva Roma 1960 Summer Olympics 1975 Summer Universiade 1987 World Championships in Athletics Italian National Football Team

The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football. It is the home stadium of Società Sportiva Lazio and Associazione Sportiva Roma and is the venue of the final Coppa Italia, and all athletics, but occasionally hosts concerts of pop music and events of various kinds. Throughout its history, it has undergone three substantial restructurings and a complete restyling.

History

1930, the Stadio del Cipressi

In its first stages, the Stadio Olimpico was called the Stadio dei Cipressi. It was designed and constructed within the larger project of the Foro Mussolini (Mussolini Forum), which was renamed Foro Italico after the war.

Construction work began in 1901, under the direction of Turinese engineer Angelo Frisa and architect Enrico Del Debbio, and was finished, after few variations, in 1910. The construction of masonry stands wasn't foreseen, the original stands consisted of grassy terraces.

In 1920, it was decided to extend the stadium stairs and masonry above ground, in order to increase the capacity (35,000 spectators seated, 55,000 spectators standing, and 65,000 in the case of super-capacity). The project was entrusted to the same Frisa, with architect Luigi Moretti Walter and also engineer Achille Pinotello, and ended in 1928.

The facility housed gymnastic and sporting events, as well as Fascist gatherings, the most famous of which was during the visit of Adolf Hitler on 1 January 1930. For the occasion, construction of a second tier of stairs was started, but the work was interrupted in 1931 due to the outbreak of the war.

1940, the Stadio dei Centomila

In 1 January 1940, the site was reopened for the completion of the stadium. The project was entrusted to the engineer Carlo Roccatelli, a member of the Superior Council of Public Works. At first, they thought of a stadium with a more complex structure than that actually realised, but the scarcity of funds and the environmental characteristics of the area led to a less ambitious version. On the death of Roccatelli in 1940, the direction of the work was entrusted to architect Annibale Vitellozzi. It now reaches a capacity of about 100,000 people (hence the name of Stadio dei Centomila, which the stadium was called before 1960), and in view of the XVII Olympiad. The building was inaugurated on 17 May 1953 with a football game between Italy and Hungary.

1960, the Stadio Olimpico

During the 1960 Summer Olympics, the stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, and the athletics competitions. The posts were eliminated in the feet, with the result to actual capacity to 65,000 spectators. Following hosted several editions of the Italian Championships in Athletics, the 1975 Summer Universiade (the stadium was the only venue in the Universiade), and the 1987 World Athletics Championships and still hosts the annual meeting of the Golden Gala.

The main feature of the stadium was its surprisingly low elevation from the ground, despite its considerable capacity. The result was achieved thanks to partial sottoelevazione of the pitch, also exploiting the natural shape of a hollow ground around it. Thanks to these measures, the system was integrated seamlessly with the surrounding environment, providing a very pleasing visual appearance and content. The seats were originally made of wood, later replaced by others in stone pale green. This was not a cover of stairs, with the exception of a small structure, which was added later, that in addition to cover a small part of the Tribuna Monte Mario, which hosted journalists for Radiocronaca and press rooms. The main criticism in these years was the poor views from the curva caused by the large distance from the pitch. This was due to the presence of the athletics track and the need to conform to the existing structure.

1990 restructuring and coverage of the stadium

The new coverage added during the '90s.

In view of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which was the Olympic main Stadium, the facility was the subject of an extensive enhancement. Because of the work in 1989 of the Capitoline teams Lazio and Roma played their internal competitions at Stadio Flaminio. The work was entrusted to a team of designers, including the original designer Annibale Vitellozzi. From 1987 to 1990, the plan of action was amended several times, with a consequent rise in costs. Ultimately, Olimpico was entirely demolished and rebuilt in reinforced concrete, with the exception of the Tribuna Tevere expanded with the addition of further steps, the curves were closer to the field of nine metres. All sectors of the stadium were covered with full coverage in tensostructure white. Also installed were backless seats in blue plastic, and two giant screens built in 1987 for the World Athletics Championships were also mounted inside the curve. At the end of the new version of Olympus surpassed 80,000 posts, and so was the 14th stage in the world for number of seats in the stadiums used for football, the 29th among all the stages and the second in Italy, to just behind the San Siro Stadium of Milan. The restructuring works, with the result of an undoubtedly impressive and fascinating, not kept account of the surroundings. The rise of the stairs, as well as coveragestravolsero fully the principles on which the previous stage was designed and constructed.

The Stadio Olimpico was host to five matches in which the Italian National Team took part in, and the final between West Germany and Argentina. West Germany won the final match 1–0.

By the same conformation of 1990, on 22 May 1996, the Stadio Olimpico hosted the UEFA Champions League Final between Juventus and Ajax, which saw the Bianconeri prevail in a penalty shoot-out.

2008 restyling of the stadium

Interior of the stadium.

In 2007, it was engaged in a vast plan of restyling inside the stadium to conform to UEFA standards, for the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final, which was disputed in Rome. The work was performed and completed in 2008, having included the establishment of standard structures, with improvements in security, the adjustment of dressing rooms and press room, the complete replacement of the seats, installing high definition LED screens, the partial removal of plexiglas fences between spectators and the field, and a reduction of posts, until the current capacity of 72,698. In order to increase the comfort of the audience, a part of the modernisation of the stadium were the increase of the points of rest and adjustment to a toilet. These actions have allowed the Stadio Olimpico to be classified as UEFA Elite stadium.

Areas and capacity

The stadium has a current capacity of 72,698, distributed as follows:^[2]

• Tribuna Monte Mario – 16,555
• Tribuna Tevere – 16,397
• Distinto Sud Ovest – 5,747
• Distinto Sud Est – 5,637
• Distinto Nord Ovest – 5,769
• Distinto Nord Est – 5,597
• Curva Sud – 8,486
• Curva Nord – 8,520

Famous matches

• The 1968 European Championship final match saw Italy win against Yugoslavia 2–0.
• The 1977 European Cup final match saw Liverpool win the trophy against Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1.
• The 1980 European Championship final match saw Germany win against Belgium 2–1.
• The 1984 European Cup final match saw Liverpool win the trophy after a penalty shootout against native team Roma (regular time ended 1–1).
• The 1990 FIFA World Cup Final match saw West Germany win against Argentina 1–0.
• The 1996 UEFA Champions League Final saw Juventus win the trophy after a penalty shootout against Ajax (regular time ended 1–1).
• The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final saw Barcelona win against Manchester United 2–0.

Average attendances

The average season attendances from league matches held at the Stadio Olimpico for Lazio and Roma. ^[3]

Season Roma Lazio 1961–62 30,176 20,730* 1962–63 37,248 17,523 1963–64 31,269 24,979 1964–65 30,176 20,730 1965–66 28,897 21,486 1966–67 35,375 21,680 1967–68 35,902 15,586 1968–69 46,323 21,935* 1969–70 50,625 34,883* 1970–71 45,551 37,979 1971–72 47,990 26,132* 1972–73 44,310 45,591 1973–74 47,597 49,833 1974–75 53,935 44,846 1975–76 44,607 40,859 1976–77 36,899 37,920 1977–78 40,956 38,786 1978–79 48,768 41,059

Season Roma Lazio 1979–80 44,589 31,560 1980–81 51,103 24,148* 1981–82 45,289 21,634* 1982–83 54,510 34,234* 1983–84 52,793 46,908 1984–85 51,421 38,544 1985–86 50,151 25,872* 1986–87 49,138 30,945* 1987–88 42,755 29,790* 1988–89 34,913 32,125 1989–90 # 22,067 20,022 1990–91 43,570 36,371 1991–92 51,609 39,499 1992–93 50,306 49,105 1993–94 52,615 50,149 1994–95 56,356 48,715 1995–96 53,146 46,326 1996–97 50,557 38,699

Season Roma Lazio 1997–98 52,813 46,058 1998–99 54,309 53,184 1999–00 58,915 51,956 2000–01 63,370 48,498 2001–02 59,402 42,684 2002–03 57,160 44,129 2003–04 55,413 49,341 2004–05 49,631 37,516 2005–06 39,726 27,872 2006–07 38,689 25,048 2007–08 35,982 21,607 2008–09 39,396 34,626 2009–10 40,925 36,154

# In 1989–90 season both teams played at Stadio Flaminio during the renovations of Stadio Olimpico.
* Club was in Serie B
= Serie A winners
= Coppa Italia winners

References

External links

• External view of the Olympic Stadium of Rome
• Rome2009.net
• Brief Guide to Olympic Stadium of Rome