Dino Manuzzi

The Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi does not hide. That is the first thing a visitor sees, and it is the last thing they remember after a match. The structure sits in Cesena, in the Emilia-Romagna region, and it has been there since 1957. It opened as Stadio La Fiorita, named after the local quarter, before the city decided to honour Dino Manuzzi, a figure who served the club for decades.

What makes the ground different from most Italian football stadiums is the roof. The reconstruction finished in 1989 turned it into the first fully covered major stadium in Italy, a fact that still defines its character. The original concrete pillars and the steel lattice trusses remain, though the wooden temporary stands of the 1970s were torn down long ago. The pitch itself tells a story of compromise. It was once the first artificial surface in the country, installed for convenience, but the club eventually replaced it. Now the grass grows on top of the old synthetic base, a patchwork that holds up despite the wet winters.

The stadium hosted four matches during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2019, a tournament that brought England and France to the city. Those fixtures showed the ground at full capacity, but it has often been quieter. The record attendance of 35,991 belongs to a 1974 Serie A encounter against AC Milan, a day when the town held its breath. Today, the capacity is listed as 20,194, a figure that has changed with the seasons and the rebuilding of the terraces. The stands are empty now, but the geometry of the concrete and the steel is enough to make you understand why the club stayed here.