| Stadio Delle Alpi | |
|---|---|
| Location | Turin, Italy |
| Broke ground | 1988 |
| Opened | 1990 |
| Closed | 2006 |
| Demolished | 2009 |
| Owner | City of Turin[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Architect | Studio Hutter |
| Capacity |
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| Field dimensions |
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| Tenants | |
| Torino (1990–2006) Juventus (1990–2006) |
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The Stadio delle Alpi was a football and athletics stadium in Turin, Italy and was the home of both Juventus Football Club and Torino Football Club between 1990 and 2006. In English, the name meant "Stadium of the Alps," a reference to the nearby Alps mountain range. The stadium has since been demolished (with both football clubs playing their home fixtures at the rebuilt Stadio Olimpico), and a new stadium called Juventus Stadium was opened in 2011 in its place.
Designed by architect Studio Hutter, the delle Alpi was originally built in 1990 to host matches for the 1990 World Cup as a replacement for the aging Stadio Comunale, the then name of today's Stadio Olimpico. The stadium's original capacity was 69,041 fans; however, due to FIFA rules regarding the segregation of home and away supporters, the actual capacity was reduced to 67,229.[2]
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Construction on the stadium began in June 1988, and due to the use of prefabricated concrete, was complete within two years. The delle Alpi was built by the council of Turin, with both of the city's football clubs using it as their home ground following the closure of the Stadio Olimpico. It was originally intended to be used for not only football but also athletics; therefore an athletics track was constructed around the outside of the pitch. However, due to the lack of a warm up track, the stadium was never used for a major athletics event.
The stadium was inaugurated on 31 May 1990 when a joint Juventus-Torino team defeated a Futebol Clube do Porto side 4-3. Due to escalating rental costs, disputes arose between the clubs and the city council. In 1994, the Juventus board investigated building a new stadium, which would be owned by the club. The UEFA Cup semi-final and final matches in 1994-95 were moved by Juventus to the San Siro in Milan, attracting an audience of 85,000. The Stadio delle Alpi was very rarely sold out in its history. Finally, in the summer of 2003, Juventus bought the delle Alpi from the council of Turin for a fee of around €25 million.[1]
The stadium attendance record was 66,299, set during a UEFA Champions League semi-final (second leg) between Juventus and Real Madrid on 14 May 2003. During the 1990 World Cup, the stadium hosted (among others) a memorable second round match between Argentina and Brazil, plus a semi-final between Germany and England, both matches attracting around 60,000 fans.
The delle Alpi's design was widely criticised due to the poor visibility caused by the distance between the stands and the pitch. This was because the athletics track, which was never used, was constructed around the outside of the pitch. Views from the lower tier were also restricted due to the positioning of advertising boardings.[3] The stadium's location on the outskirts of town never found favour with fans, and the stadium design left spectators exposed to the elements. These factors contributed to low attendances; in the 2005–06 season, Juventus' average attendance was 35,880.[4]
The poor visibility led to extraordinarily low attendances. For example, in the Coppa Italia home match against Sampdoria in the 2001–02 season, only 237 spectators showed up.[5]
| Season | Juventus average | Torino average | Juventus trophies | Torino trophies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 | 43,114 | 33,990 | ||
| 1991–92 | 51,832 | 35,364 | ||
| 1992–93 | 45,868 | 26,814 | Juventus UEFA Cup winners | Torino Coppa Italia winners |
| 1993–94 | 44,520 | 26,130 | ||
| 1994–95 | 47,866 | 22,205 | Juventus Coppa Italia winners and Serie A winners | |
| 1995–96 | 41,946 | 20,284 | Juventus UEFA Champions League winners and Italian Super Cup winners | |
| 1996–97 | 39,271 | 13,451 | Juventus Serie A winners, European Super Cup winners, Intercontinental Cup winners and Italian Super Cup winners | |
| 1997–98 | 47,347 | 19,505 | Juventus Serie A winners | |
| 1998–99 | 47,164 | 19,627 | ||
| 1999–00 | 42,229 | 21,857 | Juventus Intertoto Cup winners | |
| 2000–01 | 41,273 | 17,077 | ||
| 2001–02 | 40,687 | 19,002 | Juventus Serie A winners and Italian Super Cup winners | |
| 2002–03 | 39,771 | 14,870 | Juventus Serie A winners and Italian Super Cup winners | |
| 2003–04 | 34,365 | 9,831 | ||
| 2004–05 | 26,429 | 10,003 | Juventus Serie A* | |
| 2005–06 | 25,987 | 24,995 | Juventus Serie A* |
* = Revoked in wake of Calciopoli.
The Stadio delle Alpi was demolished, with plans for a 41,000-seater venue and a number of restaurants and other facilities outside the ground. The new grounds of the stadium covers around 50,000 square metres. The stadium was completely demolished as of February 2009.
The running track, which was widely blamed for ruining the atmosphere in the stadium, was removed with the fans moved closer to the action.
The addition of this oval ring and set of VIP boxes protected with glass façades characterizes the new inner space. A movable roof covers the new seats and underground services integrates the complex.
This work was followed by the construction of a big commercial pavilion, down as one quarter segment of the stadium. A new Juventus training centre has also been built next to the stadium; this open area is characterized by artificial hills placed between football fields containing dressing rooms and underground parking; a set of light buildings for gymnasium, restaurant, hotel completes the system.
Work began during spring 2009 and it was opened on 8 September 2011, at the start of the 2011–12 season.
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