In recognition of the support given by Riccardo Silva to the Florida International University (FIU) Athletic Department since 2015, FIU have announced the exclusive naming rights for the Miami FC and Panther football team’s home field, which will now be called ‘Riccardo Silva Stadium’.

“FIU has been an amazing partner since we began working together with Miami FC,” said Silva. “When I brought professional soccer to Miami last year, I never dreamed that the Miami FC would be playing in a stadium named after me. It’s a huge honor of which I’m very proud and grateful for.”

“I want to personally thank Riccardo Silva for his generous gift and his belief in FIU Athletics,” FIU Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia said. “It means a great deal to the department and illustrates the relationship we have built with Riccardo Silva. It is these type of gifts that help achieve our goal towards building world-class facilities for our student-athletes.”

As well as a new name for the stadium, Riccardo Silva Stadium has also seen significant improvements made to the facility over the last two months, with completion of two major projects.  The first is the installation of a new state-of-the-art playing surface. The new surface, FieldTurf Revolution 360, features fibers that provide for optimal durability, resilience and feel and is used by many of the country’s biggest NFL and soccer teams.

“The quality of the field is very important to all players and coaches”, said Miami FC Head Coach Alessandro Nesta. “We’d like to first thank FIU and our owner Riccardo for making this possible, and everyone involved for installing such a state-of-the-art field ahead of the 2017 season. It is by far one of the best fields in the country.”

Riccardo Silva Stadium has also been enhanced by installation of a new videoboard, replacing the existing scoreboard. Measuring approximately 9.4 x 18 meters (31 x 59 feet), the new videoboard will feature a 13HD pixel layout, the premier technology for outdoor applications within the sports industry. It will have full live video and instant replay capabilities, along with multiple zones of content, including statistics and graphics.

Originally built in 2008, Riccardo Silva Stadium today holds 20,000 spectators and houses 1,500 club seats. The stadium not only serves as the home of the FIU Panthers football team but it is a crucial component of the university. Located on 11200 SW 8th Street, in Miami Florida USA, the stadium has hosted many events throughout the years, including the 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, concerts, non-intercollegiate sporting events and other community activities.