The Stadio Friuli in Udine is currently being refurbished and modernized with the former stadium, running tracks and more than 40.000 seats is being transformed into a more modern arena with 25.000 covered seats.
The Stadio Friuli – home of Udinese – was built prior to the World Cup in 1990. Since then the municipality of Udine has done nothing more than what was necessary to keep the stadium in a decent shape. Now Udinese has invested almost €40 million into the stadium project; €25m towards the new stands and around €15 million for restaurants, shops and VIP areas inside the new stadium.
Udinese will play their home matches at the Stadio Friuli this season, although the stadium is a large construction site. Only the season ticket holders [around 7000] will get access to the games until January. Then the new Curva Nord will open, and about 4000 additional seats will be available for the second half of the season.
Although the Main Stand from 1990 is being preserved, there is construction work being done behind the stand to modernise it as well as it becomes the fully covered UEFA fourth category licensed stadium, due to be completed in July 2015.
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Report and photos by Eirik Heggelund who visited the Stadio Friuli on behalf of Forza Italian Football and Calcio Norge.
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