- Stadio delle Alpi
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Stadio Delle Alpi 
Location Turin, Italy Coordinates 45°06′34.42″N 7°38′28.54″E / 45.1095611°N 7.6412611°ECoordinates: 45°06′34.42″N 7°38′28.54″E / 45.1095611°N 7.6412611°E Broke ground 1988 Opened 1990 Closed 2006 Demolished 2009 Owner City of Turin[1] Surface Grass Architect Studio Hutter Capacity 69,000 Field dimensions 105 m × 68 m Tenants Torino (1990–2006)
Juventus (1990–2006)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]
Contents
History
The delle Alpi from outside
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]
Attendance
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.
Proposed redevelopment
Main article: Juventus StadiumThe 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.
Concerts
- Madonna - July 13, 1990
- The Rolling Stones - July 28, 1990
- Sting - May 30, 1991
- Guns N' Roses - June 27, 1992
- Metallica - June 22, 1993, with The Cult and Suicidal Tendencies
- U2 - July 12, 1993, with Luciano Ligabue and An Emotional Fish and July 21, 2001
- Pink Floyd - September 13, 1994
- AC/DC - July 4, 2001, with Gotthard and Hardcore Superstar
- The Police - October 2, 2007, with Fiction Plane
References
- ^ a b "Stadium". Juventus Fan Club Malaysia. http://www.jfcm.com.my/jfcm2/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5.
- ^ "Stadium". Juventus.com. http://www.juventus.com/site/eng/JPL_newstadium.asp.
- ^ Evans, Simon. "Juve plan to halve stadium capacity". ESPN.com. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=259367&cc=5739.
- ^ "Guide to Juventus". BBC News. 27 March 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4842984.stm.
- ^ Guardian Online - Guardian Article regarding Stadio delle Alpi March 2006
Seasons 2006–07 · 2007–08 · 2008–09 · 2009–10 · 2010–11 · 2011–12Home stadium Juventus Stadium · Stadio Olimpico / Comunale · Stadio Delle Alpi · Stadio di Corso Marsiglia · Stadio Motovelodromo Umberto ITraining ground Media Juventus Channel · Hurrà JuventusRivalries Contribution to Italian national team Supporters Related articles 1990 FIFA World Cup Stadia Bari - San Nicola • Bologna - Renato Dall'Ara • Cagliari - Sant'Elia • Florence - Artemio Franchi • Genoa - Luigi Ferraris • Milan - San Siro • Napoli - San Paolo • Palermo - Renzo Barbera • Rome - Olimpico • Turin - Stadio delle Alpi • Udine - Friuli • Verona - Marcantonio Bentegodi
Categories:- Demolished buildings and structures
- 1990 FIFA World Cup stadiums
- Defunct football venues in Italy
- Sport in Turin
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