Location Palermo, Italy Surface Grass Opened 24 January 1932 Phone +39 091 690 1211 Renovated 1989 | Field size 105 x 68 m Capacity 37,619 Province Province of Palermo Team U.S. Città di Palermo | |
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Full name Stadio Comunale Renzo Barbera Former names Stadio Littorio (1932–1936)
Stadio Michele Marrone (1936–1945)
Stadio La Favorita (1945–2002) Owner Municipality of Palermo Address Viale del Fante, 11, 90146 Palermo, Italy Similar Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'I, Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Stadio Friuli | ||
Stadio Renzo Barbera (previously and still commonly known as Stadio La Favorita) is a football stadium in Palermo, Italy. It is currently home of U.S. Città di Palermo football team. The stadium was inaugurated on 24 January 1932, and was named Stadio Littorio in homage to the Fascism. The opening match was Palermo vs Atalanta, with Palermo winning 5–1. A track surrounded the pitch and there were no stands behind either goal. In 1936, the stadium was renamed Stadio Michele Marrone, in memory of a soldier killed during the Spanish Civil War. The name was changed again at the end of World War II to Stadio La Favorita, from the name of the nearby ancient game preserve of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor in the 13th century.
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In 1948, the track was removed and stands behind each goal were built. In 1984, the second main redevelopment took place, involving the addition of a second tier to the stadium which increased capacity to 50,000 spectators. This higher capacity was, however, completely covered in only twice, respectively in a Serie C1 league match against Messina and a friendly match against Juventus. A third redevelopment ended in 1990, the last main one to which the venue was subjected and was undertaken due to city of Palermo having been chosen to host a number of the 1990 FIFA World Cup First Round matches. Due to this redevelopment, the capacity of the stadium was lowered to its current 37,619 seats.
On 18 September 2002, the stadium was renamed as Renzo Barbera, past chairman of Palermo in the club's last Serie A tenure, as well as the two Coppa Italia finals throughout the 1960s and the 1970s, who had died that same year on 19 May. In the Serie A 2004-05 campaign, which marked the first Palermo appearance in the top division in over 30 years, all seats in the stadium were already assigned in the summer to season-ticket holders. However, this was not repeated in the next years.
Plans were recently announced by current Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini in order to build a new stadium to be owned directly by the club.
Le 5 cose da non fare allo stadio renzo barbera
Transports
The stadium is linked to the city center and the central railway station by bus line 101.
1990 FIFA World Cup
The stadium was one of the venues of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, and held the following matches:
Concerts
Especially during the 1980s the stadium was frequently used as a concert venue. Starting in the 1990s however, concerts and other cultural events were gradually banned from the stadium due to fears they could damage the grass on the field. From the early 1990s, large open air concerts were held at the Velodromo Paolo Borsellino instead. As a matter of fact, the Renzo Barbera Stadium is currently the only stadium in Italy where concerts are prohibited. Below is a list of artists who have performed at the Renzo Barbera Stadium in the past.