A roller coaster next to the stadium: Sion's plans and Roma's arena
FC Sion unveiled a unique new stadium design last week, which integrates a roller coaster and includes a hotel with roughly eighty rooms. The project is estimated to cost €480 million and is expected to be ready for use in seven years.
Roman architecture and a home of its own for Roma
AS Roma has been working for years on its own football temple in the Pietralata district. The planned stadium will have 60 605 seats, with the Curva Sud being a single stand of 23 000 passionate Romanisti. With this stadium, Roma can say goodbye to the Stadio Olimpico, which it currently shares with Lazio.
Designers reference classic Roman architecture in the façade and feature the large ‘Roma 1927’ logo. The stadium is also being considered as a potential venue for Euro 2032, giving the club its own home at last.
Other ambitious projects in Europe
Birmingham City is planning an arena for 62 000 spectators, surrounded by twelve brick towers that will house, among other things, lifts, stairs and the city’s highest bar. The design, partly assisted by Peaky‑Blinders creator Steven Knight, is slated to be operational from the 2030/31 season.
In Milan, the iconic San Siro will be demolished in 2030/31 to make way for a new stadium with over 71 000 seats, including 13 000 VIP seats, which will be built adjacent to the old complex.
Valencia CF, after nearly twenty years waiting for a new stadium, resumed construction in 2025. The new stadium is slated to be ready by 2030 and could be used during the 2026 World Cup in Spain, after the club sells the expensive urban land.
Financial and logistical challenges
The Sion project, with a price tag of €480 million, combines sport, entertainment and hospitality, turning a visit to the arena into a full‑scale experience. The seven‑year construction period is seen as achievable, provided the financing comes together.
Roma’s ambition to leave the Stadio Olimpico requires not only a new stadium but also a clear separation from Lazio, which currently uses the shared facility. The realization of both projects will dramatically reshape the landscape and sports infrastructure of their cities.