Stadio Franchi delays deepen Fiorentina’s crisis and city’s dismay

The long-awaited renovation of the Artemio Franchi stadium will not be completed before 2029, Mayor Sara Funaro confirmed during a site inspection this week. The revised timeline means Fiorentina will play four more seasons in a half-closed ground, while the club itself struggles through one of the worst campaigns in its modern history.

According to the city’s new schedule, the first construction phase—covering the Curva Fiesole and parts of the main stands—should finish by April 2027. The second phase, still unfunded by around €50 million, would follow immediately and take two more years. The fully refurbished 1930s landmark, designed by architect Pier Luigi Nervi, is now expected to reopen at full capacity for the 2029/2030 season.

The delays further complicate Florence’s bid to host matches in the 2032 UEFA European Championships. By July 2026, the municipality must submit technical and financial guarantees to European football authorities, including evidence that the Franchi will be ready in time. “We are moving forward, but the funding gap remains,” Mayor Funaro said, noting that talks continue with both national agencies and the club’s owner Rocco Commisso.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, the situation has become dire. Fiorentina have collected only six points in 14 matches, sit at the bottom of Serie A and have already changed coaches twice. Online abuse against players and families has drawn condemnation from city officials and supporters’ groups alike. The sense of civic pride that usually surrounds the purple team has turned into collective anxiety.

For generations, Fiorentina have represented more than sport in Florence: a symbol of civic identity in a city better known for art and tourism than for industry or political power. The club’s centenary season, meant to be a celebration in a restored stadium, has become instead a reminder of how closely the team’s fortunes and the Franchi’s future are linked.

The empty concrete stands, now half hidden behind cranes and scaffolding, mirror the mood of a fan base watching its club crumble. “Restoring the Franchi was supposed to restore faith,” said one supporter outside the ground. “Now we are losing both.”

The municipality hopes that, once completed, the rebuilt stadium and its surrounding park will anchor the Campo di Marte district in a broader regeneration plan. But with the European deadline approaching and the team facing possible relegation, the prospect of seeing international football return to Florence feels increasingly distant.

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