Stadio delle Alpi – Juventus FC Stadium (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 was demolished in 2009 and both football clubs moved to the rebuilt Stadio Olimpico. A new stadium for Juventus, the Juventus Stadium, was constructed on the site of the former delle Alpi and opened in 2011.

Designed by architect Studio Hutter, the Stadio delle Alpi was originally built in 1990 to host matches for the 1990 FIFA World Cup as a replacement for the aging Stadio Olimpico, then known as the Stadio Comunale. 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.

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 Porto 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 June 2002, Juventus purchased the delle Alpi from the council of Turin for a fee of around €25 million.

Torino was banned from playing Serie A for five matches inside the stadium in 2003 due to the violence that occurred on 22 February 2003 inside the stadium clash against Milan.

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 FIFA World Cup, the stadium hosted (among others) a memorable second round match between Argentina and Brazil, as well as a semi-final between West Germany and England. Both matches attracting around 60,000 fans.

The stadium was one of the venues of the 1990 World Cup, hosting five matches. The first four involved Brazil; All their Group C matches (a 2–1 win over Sweden on 10 June, a 1–0 win over Costa Rica on 16 June and a 1–0 win over Scotland on 20 June) and their round of 16 match against Argentina on 24 June, a 1–0 defeat. The fifth match was the semi-final between West Germany and England on 4 July, with the match ending 1–1 but West Germany winning 4–3 on penalties.

The Stadio delle Alpi was demolished, with plans for a 41,475-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 a gymnasium, a restaurant and a 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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