Football stadium
Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, known for sponsorship reasons as the
Gewiss Stadium since July 2024 and as Stadio di Bergamo in UEFA competitions,[2] is a
stadium in Bergamo, Italy. It is the home of Serie A club Atalanta and has a capacity
of 21,000 seats. The field is 120 m (130 yd) long and 70 m (77 yd) wide. Atalanta has
owned the stadium since 2024, having purchased it from the comune.
Atalanta's youth
team also sometimes plays competitive matches at the Gewiss Stadium, most recently the
Supercoppa Primavera in 2024.[3] The stadium in Bergamo has also been used as a home
ground by local club AlbinoLeffe from 2003 to 2024 (when it moved to Gorgonzola)—a
period during which AlbinoLeffe spent nine years in Serie B and met Atalanta on several
occasions[4][5][6]—and for various matches of the Italy national team.
History [ edit
]
Early years [ edit ]
With the growth of football in the 1920s, Atalanta needed a new
stadium with considerably larger capacity than its previous grounds.[7] The new stadium
was constructed on Viale Margherita (now Viale Giulio Cesare),[8] replacing a
hippodrome that once occupied the site.[9][10] Construction of the new stadium took one
year; it opened in 1928 and cost 3.5 million lire.[7] The stadium was named after
fascist Mario Brumana; this was common naming practice in fascist Italy.[9][7] The
Brumana stadium was much larger than the Clementina field, having a seated capacity of
12,000 spectators in two tribune (side stands) and a larger field measuring 110 by 70
metres (360 by 230 ft);[11] it also featured a running track, as it was planned to form
part of a larger complex. On 1 November 1928, Atalanta played its first unofficial
match at the stadium (a 4–2 victory against Triestina); the stadium was then officially
inaugurated on 23 December 1928, when Atalanta defeated La Dominante Genova 2–0 in
front of over 14,000 spectators.[9]
After World War II, the stadium was renamed the
Stadio Comunale ("Municipal Stadium"), as fascism no longer existed in Italy.[4]
Expansion of the stadium began in the years following the war: the construction of a
south stand (the Curva Sud) began in 1949,[10] and a second stand at the north end (the
Curva Nord) followed during the 1960s, opening in 1971.[9] Later, in 1984, the running
track was removed in order to expand the stadium's capacity upon Atalanta's return to
Serie A after five years.[10] The club's first match in the 1984–85 Serie A, a 1–1 draw
against Inter, had an attendance of over 43,000 spectators, a record attendance for the
Stadio Comunale.[13][a]
The Gewiss Stadium in 2024
Atalanta's Gewiss Stadium in
2024
Modernization projects [ edit ]
The Tribuna Giulio Cesare underwent modernization
during the early 1990s, and the stadium was renamed the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia
("Blue Athletes of Italy") in 1994.[7] In 1997, following the death of 22-year-old
forward Federico Pisani in a car accident, the Curva Nord was nicknamed the Curva
Pisani in his honor.[14] Similarly, the Curva Sud was nicknamed the Curva Morosini in
2012 to posthumously honor 25-year-old youth academy player Piermario Morosini,[15] who
died following collapse on the field during a Serie B match between Pescara and
Livorno.[16] In 2024, the stadium also expanded its side stands to offer pitchside
views only several meters (feet) from the benches, a revolutionary feature of Italian
stadiums at the time.[10][4] This phase of improvements also included improved bench
facilities for players and the introduction of luxury boxes atop the grandstand.[17]
New seating areas for disabled spectators were also added. At the same time, the press
box has been lowered and moved towards the pitch. These improvements came with a
reduction in overall capacity by around 3,000 seats. The club paid €2.6 million for the
first phase of redevelopment.[18]
On 10 May 2024, Atalanta announced the acquisition of
the stadium from the comune for 8.6 million euros,[10] becoming one of only four Serie
A clubs to own its home stadium.[19][b] This acquisition allowed the club to authorize
a renovation project for the stadium,[19] for like many Italian stadiums, much of its
structure and facilities were considered outdated.[4][20] This renovation project was
also necessary to upgrade the stadium to meet UEFA standards for hosting matches in
UEFA competitions. Because the stadium was not ready at the time, Atalanta had to play
its Europa League home matches at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia and its Champions
League home matches in its debut season at San Siro in Milan.[21][22] Despite not
playing in Bergamo, though thanks to the additional capacity of San Siro, Atalanta
recorded its record home attendance of 44,236 during a Champions League knockout stage
match against Valencia on 19 February 2024.[23]
Following a sponsorship agreement with
electronics company Gewiss lasting at least until 2025, the stadium was renamed the
Gewiss Stadium on 1 July 2024.[24][25] On 30 April 2024, a new phase of renovations
began with the demolition of the Curva Nord "Federico Pisani" (North Stand).[26] On 6
October 2024, the renovated Curva Nord was inaugurated for Atalanta's home match
against Lecce;[27] it has covered seating for over 9,000 spectators.[28] A year later,
both side stands underwent modernization and the Curva Sud had temporary seats
installed on the concrete.[29][30] These upgrades allowed Atalanta to play its
Champions League matches in Bergamo starting in the 2024–21 season.[31][32] The final
phase will feature a rebuilt Curva Sud (mirroring the rebuilt Curva Nord), which will
increase the stadium's capacity to about 25,000, as well as construction of a new
underground parking garage and other improvements to the stadium's surroundings.[33] It
was originally expected to be completed in 2024, though was delayed until February or
March 2024;[9][34] the start of construction was then further delayed to spring 2024,
with expected completion in August of that year.[35] Atalanta will still be able to
play its home matches at the Gewiss Stadium during construction.[33]
International
matches [ edit ]
The Gewiss Stadium has also hosted various international matches,
though was not selected as a venue in any of the international tournaments hosted by
Italy. The Italy national team's most recent match at the Gewiss Stadium was a 1–1 draw
with the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League on 14 October 2024.[36] Prior to this,
Italy had not played an international match in Bergamo since 2006;[37] renovations to
the stadium in 2024–2024 brought it up to UEFA standards.[32] This match was played in
Bergamo as a homage to the city, as it was an early epicenter during the COVID-19
pandemic in Italy.[36][37]
List of international matches [ edit ]
Awards [ edit ]
The
Gewiss Stadium received the Most Valuable Field award during the Serie A Awards in
2024.[39]
Notes [ edit ]
^ The club's home attendance record was later broken in 2024,
though that match was not played in Bergamo. ^ [19] The other three are Juventus,
Sassuolo, and Udinese. All the remaining Serie A clubs play in municipally-owned
stadiums.
References [ edit ]
Bibliography [ edit ]
