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Abandoned 25,000-seater stadium that hosted England and Michael Jackson could return to former glory for Euro 2032

Abandoned 25,000-seater stadium that hosted England and Michael Jackson could return to former glory for Euro 2032

The Sun26-06-2025
AN abandoned stadium which once hosted pop icon Michael Jackson is in line for a multi-million-pound revamp.
And it could end up being one of the grounds used for UEFA Euro 2032.
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The tournament is set to take place in seven years, with Italy and Turkey sharing the host rights.
The Stadio Olimpico and San Siro are dead certs to stage matches during the competition.
But an abandoned ground built in the 1950s could also host games if a proposed renovation plan gets the green light.
The Stadio Flaminio on the outskirts of Rome is finally set to be renovated nearly 20 YEARS after proposals were first put forward.
The ground, which was built ahead of the 1960 Olympics, has become dilapidated in recent years and is currently full of overgrown grass and bushes.
The Flaminio's current state is a far cry from when it was in its pomp and hosted the likes of music icons David Bowie, MJ and The Rolling Stones.
It's not that long ago since the ground was regularly used.
From the year 2000 to 2011, it was the home of the Italian national rugby team and hosted a slew of Six Nations games in front of 30,000 spectators.
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The multi-million-pound plans to renovate the Stadio Flaminio will result in the ground becoming the new home of Serie A giants Lazio.
The renovation is expected to cost a whopping £334million (€391m).
Abandoned EFL stadium left to rot with pitch covered in weeds just five years after hosting final match
Previous plans to renovate the stadium fell flat on their face due to archaeological constraints preventing additional facilities from being built in the surrounding areas.
Developers, however, plan to get around that hurdle with a three-hour "restricted traffic zone" ahead of kick-off and the commencement of other events.
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