"Italy next in line to develop its stadium infrastructure significantly" (T. Jones, Populous)

"Italy would seem next in line to develop its stadium infrastructure significantly, but this will depend on whether the government loosens the regulations around the development of existing venues. Italian football has a rich heritage and long-established traditions, and I think we are at the point now where these traditions are ready to be brought forward into a 21^st Century stadium environment," stated Tom Jones, senior principal at the architecture firm Populous, to News Tank Football on 17/12/2020.

Regarding the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on stadium operations, "we can be certain that our desire to gather in large crowds to watch sport will remain, so it becomes about what measures we can take to protect crowds, both in the immediate future and in the years ahead. I believe that stadium designers will now be looking to incorporate design features that contribute to a higher standard of public health," said Jones.

"The way to rationalise this (climate change) is to build true multi-functionality into the design - flexibility that means the stadium doesn’t sit idle six days…