Stadio di Bergamo | |
 The outside of the stadium in 2020. | |
 Interactive map of New Balance Arena | |
| Former names |
|
|---|---|
| Location | Bergamo, Italy |
| Coordinates | 45°42′32″N9°40′51″E / 45.70889°N 9.68083°E /45.70889; 9.68083 |
| Owner | Stadio Atalanta S.r.l. |
| Capacity | 23.439[1] |
| Field size | 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft) |
| Surface | FLexGrass Vertix hybrid grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1927 |
| Opened | 23 December 1928 |
| Renovated | 1949, 1984, 2015, 2019–2024 |
| Tenants | |
| Atalanta (1928–present) AlbinoLeffe (2003–2019) Italy national football team (selected matches) | |
TheNew Balance Arena, known as theStadio di Bergamo inUEFA competitions,[2] is a stadium inBergamo, Italy. It is the home ofSerie A clubAtalanta and has a capacity of 23.439 seats. The field is 120 m (130 yd) long and 70 m (77 yd) wide. Atalanta has owned the stadium since 2017, having purchased it from thecomune.
Atalanta's under-23 team andyouth team sometimes play competitive matches at the stadium.[3][4] The stadium in Bergamo has also been used as a home ground by local clubAlbinoLeffe from 2003 to 2019 (when it moved toGorgonzola)—a period during which AlbinoLeffe spent nine years in Serie B andmet Atalanta on several occasions[5][6][7]—and for various matches of theItaly national team.
With the growth of football in the 1920s, Atalanta needed a new stadium with considerably larger capacity than its previous grounds.[8] The new stadium was constructed on Viale Margherita (now Viale Giulio Cesare),[9] replacing ahippodrome that once occupied the site.[10][11] Construction of the new stadium took one year; it opened in 1928 and cost 3.5 millionlire.[8] The stadium was named afterfascist Mario Brumana; this was common naming practice infascist Italy.[10][8] The Brumana stadium was much larger than the Clementina field, having a seated capacity of 12,000 spectators in twotribune (side stands) and a larger field measuring 110 by 70 metres (360 by 230 ft);[12] it also featured arunning 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 againstTriestina); the stadium was then officially inaugurated on 23 December 1928, when Atalanta defeatedLa Dominante Genova 2–0 in front of over 14,000 spectators.[10]
AfterWorld War II, the stadium was renamed theStadio Comunale ("Municipal Stadium"), asfascism no longer existed in Italy.[5] Expansion of the stadium began in the years following the war: the construction of a south stand (theCurva Sud) began in 1949,[11] and a second stand at the north end (theCurva Nord) followed during the 1960s, opening in 1971.[10][13] 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.[11] The club's first match in the1984–85 Serie A, a 1–1 draw against Inter, had an attendance of over 43,000 spectators, a record attendance for the Stadio Comunale.[13][14][a]
TheTribuna Giulio Cesare underwent modernization during the early 1990s, and the stadium was renamed theStadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia ("Blue Athletes of Italy") in 1994.[8] In 1997, following the death of 22-year-old forwardFederico Pisani in a car accident, theCurva Nord was nicknamed theCurva Pisani in his honor.[15] Similarly, theCurva Sud was nicknamed theCurva Morosini in 2012 to posthumously honor 25-year-old youth academy playerPiermario Morosini,[16] who died following collapse on the field during a Serie B match betweenPescara andLivorno.[17] In 2015, 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.[11][5] This phase of improvements also included improved bench facilities for players and the introduction of luxury boxes atop the grandstand.[18] 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.[19]
On 10 May 2017, Atalanta announced the acquisition of the stadium from thecomune for 8.6 millioneuros,[11] becoming one of only four Serie A clubs to own its home stadium.[20][b] This acquisition allowed the club to authorize a renovation project for the stadium,[20] for like many Italian stadiums, much of its structure and facilities were considered outdated.[5][21] 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 theMapei Stadium inReggio Emilia and its Champions League home matches in its debut season atSan Siro inMilan.[22][23] 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 againstValencia on 19 February 2020.[13][24]
Following a sponsorship agreement with electronics companyGewiss, the stadium was renamed the Gewiss Stadium on 1 July 2019.[25][26] On 30 April 2019, a new phase of renovations began with the demolition of theCurva Nord "Federico Pisani" (North Stand).[27] On 6 October 2019, the renovatedCurva Nord was inaugurated for Atalanta's home match againstLecce;[28] it has covered seating for over 9,000 spectators.[29] A year later, both side stands underwent modernization and theCurva Sud had temporary seats installed on theconcrete.[30][31] These upgrades allowed Atalanta to play its Champions League matches in Bergamo starting in the 2020–21 season.[32][33] The final phase called for a newCurva Sud (mirroring the rebuiltCurva Nord), increasing 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.[34] It was originally expected to be completed in 2021, though was delayed several times.[10][35] Construction began in spring 2024, temporarily reducing the stadium's capacity but otherwise not obliging the club's home matches to be played at another stadium,[36][34] and the renovatedCurva Sud opened on 8 September 2024, for the club's first home match of the2024–25 season.[37]
In 2025, following the expiration of the club's sponsorship agreement with Gewiss, the stadium was no longer known officially as the Gewiss Stadium and a new sponsorship deal was signed with sportswear companyNew Balance.[38]
Various international matches have also been played in Bergamo, though the stadium was not selected as a venue in any of the international tournaments hosted by Italy. TheItaly national team's most recent match in Bergamo was a 1–1 draw with theNetherlands in theUEFA Nations League on 14 October 2020.[39] Prior to this, Italy had not played an international match in Bergamo since 2006;[40] renovations to the stadium in 2019–2020 brought it up to UEFA standards.[33] This match was played in Bergamo as a homage to the city, as it was an early epicenter during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Italy.[39][40]
Ukraine  | 3–1 | Albania  |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Italy  | 1–1 |  Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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The Stadio di Bergamo received theMost Valuable Field award during theSerie A Awards in 2023.[42]
| History | |
|---|---|
| Grounds |
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