Bologna

Location

Bologna, Italy

Capacity

36,000

Opened

1927

Time zone

UTC +01:00 Central European Time (CET)

Stadio Renato Dall'Ara is a multi-purpose stadium in Bologna, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and the home of Bologna FC. The stadium was designed by Giulio Ulisse Arata and inaugurated in 1927 as Stadio Littoriale. It was one of the first stadiums to incorporate the stands into the architecture, an innovation which later became the model for stadiums around the world. The large arch contained an equestrian statue of the dictator Benito Mussolini, which was destroyed during the city's liberation in 1943. The stadium replaced the Stadio Sterlino and is named after Renato Dall'Ara (1892–1964), a former president of Bologna for thirty years. The stadium hosted matches in both the 1934 FIFA World Cup and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The last match of the tournament played there was the England vs Belgium match in the Round of 16 which ended 1–0 courtesy of an extra-time goal scored by David Platt in the 119th minute. Located in the Saragozza district, about 3.5 km from the center of the city, it regularly hosts Bologna's home matches. With around 36,000 seats it is the eleventh Italian stadium for capacity, which can increase up to 55,000 for concerts.