Italian Serie A football team Cagliari Calcio has inched closer to realising its ambition to build a new stadium after receiving a loan for its construction.

The club has been provided the money by the local government and Sardinian financial institution Sfirs to build the 21,000-capacity stadium, which is being designed by Polish architect JSK Architekci.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Cagliari Calcio president Tommaso Giulini, the city’s minister of planning and budget Raffaele Paci and Sfirs president Paul Sestu.

“The construction of the new football stadium is an important investment for the city and the entire region,” said Paci.

“The presence within Serie A of Cagliari Calcio, which represents the whole of Sardinia, is a major tourist attraction, and the construction of the new stadium and related services will surely help enhance the area and improve the quality of life of citizens.”

Amenities due to be built in the stadium’s vicinity include shops, bars, a gym, a physiotherapy centre, a martial arts studio, football pitches and courts for basketball, tennis and volleyball.

Giulini said the facility was a “remarkable and ambitious project”, adding: “It is important for Cagliari Calcio to count on the solid support of the Sardinia region for the construction of the new stadium.

“We are working to ensure the dream can become a reality; to give all our fans a new house that is modern and welcoming.”