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Ceferin warns Italy: Stadiums are a disgrace, the gap must be closed by 'Euro 2032'
2025-05-06 09:49:20 / BOTA
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has expressed his satisfaction with the new Champions League format, but has not spared criticism of Italy for the state of its stadiums and football infrastructure.
In an interview with journalist Marialuisa Jacobelli at SportMediaset, he spoke openly about the current challenges of European football.
Čeferin said he is more than satisfied with the first season of the new Champions League format. According to him, the season has been extraordinary, with exciting matches and big surprises. He singled out PSG, which was close to elimination, but reached the semi-finals.
He also praised Inter, who were the only Italian team to get past the group stage and reach the semi-finals.
"The stadiums in Italy are a disgrace," said Čeferin. He criticized the lack of concrete progress in infrastructure, adding that Italy, despite being one of the countries with the most history in football, has the worst stadiums of the major European countries.
"The time has come to act," he said, calling for support from the government, municipalities and private investors.
Although Italy is co-hosting Euro 2032 with Turkey, Čeferin stressed that there is still a lot of work to do to make the country ready.
He expressed confidence in Gabriele Gravina, his vice president, that he will do everything to close the infrastructure gap.
About the Club World Cup and the calendar
Speaking about the new Club World Cup, which starts soon, he acknowledged concerns about the physical overload of the players.
He called the situation “paradoxical”: clubs want more games to generate revenue, while players get tired and injured. “It’s a vicious circle,” he said.
Čeferin admitted that he too is often frustrated by VAR decisions, particularly in the case of handball and inch-offside penalties. However, he said he has no plans to allow public communication in the style of other sports.
He stressed the importance of fans and players in football, describing them as the true protagonists. According to him, UEFA will not allow football to become a closed competition for the elite.
He praised English fans for their reaction to the Super League, adding that the Italians did not engage as strongly.
On his legacy at UEFA
In the end, Čeferin said he is proud that, under his leadership, UEFA has remained an organization that protects football for all, sharing 97% of revenues with federations, clubs and other members of the football ecosystem.
On the participation of non-European clubs in UEFA
He ruled out the possibility of non-European clubs participating in UEFA competitions, stressing that the competitions will remain European, even though the clubs are made up of players from all over the world.
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