Taranto’s Erasmo Iacovone Stadium Reopened After €62 Million Renovation for Mediterranean Games

The historic Erasmo Iacovone stadium in the southern Italian city of Taranto has been completely modernised at a cost of €62 million. The upgrade, part of a €275 million budget for the upcoming XX Mediterranean Games, expanded capacity to over 20,000 seats, added VIP boxes, sky‑boxes, media facilities and a design that meets UEFA’s third‑category standards. The project, overseen by Minister Raffaele Fitto, also created a year‑round community hub with a shopping park, conference centre, sports‑medicine complex, coworking spaces and a hotel.

Taranto Calcio (Taranto FC 1927) will use the new venue for its matches, while the stadium will host several events during the Mediterranean Games that will bring more than 4,000 athletes from 26 nations to the region. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin criticised Italy’s football infrastructure, calling it “shameful”, underscoring the significance of the new stadium for the country’s sporting profile.