Name: Stadio Ennio Tardini (Formally Stadio Municipale – 1922–1923)
Location: Viale Partigiani d’Italia, Parma
Opened: 1923
Capacity: 27, 906
Stadio Ennio Tardini, commonly referred to as just Il Tardini, is a football stadium in Parma, Italy.
It is currently the home of Parma F.C.. The stadium was built in 1923 and was named after one of Parma’s former presidents, Ennio Tardini.
The stadium is the sixth oldest Italian football ground still in use.
The ground underwent significant expansion under Parmalat’s ownership of the resident football club in the 1990s, as the ground’s seating capacity was increased from around 13,500 to 29,050.
There had been plans to increase capacity to 36,000, in part of Italy’s bod to host Euro 2016, but the plans went through when the bid was unsuccessful.
The Tardini has hosted five full Azzurri international matches, all of which Italy have won.
The Tardini also hosted the deciding game of Italy’s American football on 8 July 1989 in Superbowl Italiano IX. The game pitched Seamen Milano against Frogs Legnano against each other with Frogs Legnano winning 39–33.
The Gentleman Ultra says…
The Stadio Ennio Tardini is one of Italy’s oldest football grounds still in use. Immortalised by the famous Parma side of the 1990s, the stadium had remained untouched until Parmalat’s ownership of the club came into fruition at the same time.
In that era the stadium became an all-seater and the capacity was almost doubled. Time has now passed and the club have since bounced up and down the divisions and suffered financially, however, the stadium has continued to improve.
The changes were so significant that the venue was included in Italy’s unsuccessful Euro 2016 bid and even despite this, Parma’s chairman has seen that the stadium enhancement continues.
There are talks of Parma buying the stadium off the local authorities although these are still in the early stages.
Attendances at the Stadio Ennio Tardini have averaged around 15,000 since their return to Serie A in 2009 and the atmosphere is always kept alive by the infamous Boys Parma 1977 who conduct many of the choreographed shows in the Curva.
