Serie A club AS Roma and its U.S.-based President Jim Pallotta revealed plans to build a new stadium in Rome in time for the team's '16-17 season. The location for the new stadium will be in Tor di Valle, in the southwest part of the city. Roma’s new stadium will hold 55,000 to 60,000 Roma fans. Pallotta said, "Building a new stadium for AS Roma has always been our goal." The team has shared Stadio Olimpico with city rivals Lazio since '60. Newly-appointed AS Roma CEO Italo Zanzi said, "Rome is a city of special stadia, from the Coliseum to the Olympic Stadium. Today, we take the first substantial step toward a new home for AS Roma -- a stadium that will be second to none; a home not only for the team, but for our fans in Rome and from around the world" (AS Roma). REUTERS reported "such purpose-built modern facilities could help Italy in any future bid to host either a World Cup or European Championship." Public ownership of stadiums "is common in Italy but leaves clubs unable to modernise their facilities and make money from mega-stores and restaurants, as do the likes of ManU and Bayern Munich." Italy's aging stadiums have the second-lowest attendance among the "big five" European football leagues (REUTERS, 12/31). Architect Don Meis has been hired to design the stadium, "which is expected to cost between €165M-210M ($218M-277M)" (STADIUM GUIDE, 12/31).
