West Ham have agreed a contract to move into the London Olympic Stadium from the start of the 2016-17 season. On Friday, the club finally received confirmation of the deal that follows on a long and torturous process and saw an earlier deal collapse:

Boris Johnson, the London mayor, and West Ham’s vice-chair, Karren Brady, who was negotiating the finer points of the deal with the London Legacy Development Corporation chief executive, Dennis Hone, until the early hours of Friday morning, hailed it as a “win-win deal”. Brady promised fans it would “look and feel like West Ham’s stadium”, despite sharing it with athletics, concerts and other sports.

The deal means that the stadium will undergo several redevelopments starting after the summer that will see the entire lower tier rebuilt, a new roof installed, and capacity reduced to 54,000 seats.

Reactions to the deal were mixed, with major Johnson heralding the deal:

“This is a truly momentous milestone for London’s spectacular Olympic Stadium ensuring its credible and sustainable future,” said Johnson. “Through this deal with West Ham we are defying the gloomsters who predicted this landmark would become a dusty relic.”

West Ham also showed delight:

Joint-Chairman David Sullivan and David Gould said: “‘It’s fantastic for everyone at West Ham United that at last all the Club’s hard work over the past three years has paid off. Since we came to West Ham in 2010 we have had a vision to really take the club forward so West Ham United can compete on the pitch at the highest level.

“Today’s decision offers us a real platform to do this and we are fully committed to making it a real success. We understand the responsibilities that come with calling the nation’s iconic Olympic Stadium, which will be converted into a world-class football stadium, our new home. It is an honour we will take on with pride.”

At the same time, Gould also criticised the original plans that had led to the construction of a conventional athletics stadium and had made it harder to reach a deal:

“I’m angry from a taxpayer point of view, not a West Ham point of view,” he said. “It has impacted on West Ham, because the LLDC has had to negotiate a tougher deal with us. It was arrogance. It wasn’t even foolhardy, it was a form of arrogance.

Others criticised the additional money tax-payers have to cough up for the next round of redevelopment works:

A London Assembly member, Andrew Boff, called for the deal to be scrapped. “It is a disgrace that another £25m from the public purse will now be used to prop up this agreement,” he said, calling the stadium “a developing white elephant”.

West Ham receive 99-year lease for Olympic Stadium

Manchester City appears to be considering expanding the Etihad Stadium with an extra tier to the Family and South Stand. This has become clear from a survey the club has sent out to its fans.

The survey, which was sent by email, starts like this:

Dear Supporter

Manchester City Football Club is conducting research relating to potential new seating offerings at the Etihad Stadium. It is possible that some stadium design planning might be required, however prior to any such plans being considered, the Club is surveying supporters and customers. This would ensure that any key decisions relating to future seating options would meet the needs, desires and budgets of Manchester City supporters in the Etihad Stadium.

This survey is intended to gauge the interest of current Manchester City ticket and hospitality purchasers in various potential season ticket options and concepts. Please keep in mind that any images, package descriptions and prices in this survey are preliminary and hypothetical, and often based on other concepts that have recently been implemented in other stadiums around the world.

The survey then goes on to gauge the interest of fans for the additional sections, and how much they would be willing to pay for a seat in the new areas.

The survey not only deals with an expansion though, but also makes suggestions for upgrades of existing sections (e.g. adding sports bars to the concourses), and asks how much more fans would be willing to fork out for these improvements.

The suggestions for upgrades are illustrated with photos of other European stadium such as the Emirates Stadium and Allianz Arena, as well as various American stadiums and arenas.

The Family and South Stand are the two stands behind the goals and an expansion would basically involve extending the existing third tiers at the sides over the complete stadium. Works will therefore be relatively straightforward and cause little nuisance.

The Etihad Stadium currently counts 48,000 seats, and an expansion will likely raise capacity in the direction of 60,000. It is also clear that the club wishes to transform various regular sections into so-called premium seating and thus raise matchday revenue closer to the levels of their neighbours and the London clubs. Presumably, the club wishes to relocate part of the fans currently seated in these areas to the new ones (at least, the ones that do not want to pay more).

Manchester City has not made any official announcements on a possible expansion.

(Source: Mancityfans.net and Skyscrapercity. Survey image from Skyscrapercity user DiscoSteve.)
(Photo: © LiamUK at en.wikipedia)

Manchester City contemplate Etihad expansion

The 2012 Brazilian Séria A season has just finished, but when the new season starts in May 2013, much will have changed. The reason for this is that the largest country of South America will be swept by a series of stadium openings in the next few months, and the Grêmio Arena led the way on Saturday.

The Grêmio Arena is the new home of, not unsurprisingly, football club Grêmio, who are from Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil. It is a modern arena in the style of those we have recently seen open in Europe, such as Grande Stade Métropole Lille and the Friends Arena, with a total of 60,000 seats divided over two large and two small tiers. It even has a terrace behind one of the goals, which is not that common in Brazil.

The opening was celebrated with a show of music, dance, figures, light and fireworks, and concluded with a friendly match between Grêmio and German side HSV, which was won 2-1 by the home team.

You can watch the whole two-hour show below (though no football), or just the first minute to get an idea:

Some photos of the opening can be found here on Grêmio’s Flickr account.

The new arena complies with all requirements that are expected of a stadium these days, but will not be part of the upcoming 2014 World Cup. Instead, the honour goes to Estádio Beira-Rio, which is home to Grêmio’s rivals Internacional and is currently undergoing redevelopments that will only be completed in late 2013.

The fact that Beira-Rio has been chosen over the Grêmio Arena has been a source of frustration for most Grêmio fans. After all, the Grêmio Arena will be able to hold 5,000 more seats and offers superior facilities and sightlines as it has been newly built instead of redeveloped. This frustration got only worse when it turned out that the redevelopment of Beira-Rio was faced with recurring delays, while construction of the Grêmio Arena progressed smoothly.

Fans have blamed this on favouritism of important politicians that support Internacional, while others have argued that Internacional presented misleading plans that showed a grand project that could never get realised. Of course, it may also have been that decision makers did not trust Grêmio to get the project done, after all, various clubs presented new stadium plans in the past, but few got realised.

In the end, one set of fans was always going to be disappointed, and once it became clear that Grêmio was to prove everyone wrong while Internacional kept struggling with their project, it was already too embarrassing and politically sensitive for the organising committee and politicians to change the venue.

The Grêmio Arena will therefore likely only serve as a training accommodation during the World Cup, though may also form part of a plan B in case one of the other venues does not get finished in time.

The opening of the Grêmio Arena will get followed by those of about ten more stadiums in the year to come. Actually, earlier this year Estádio Independência was technically already the first new stadium in Brazil to open, but it is a much more modest affair with just over 20,000 seats.

Next in line are now Fortaleza’s Castelão and Belo Horizonte’s Mineirão. The former is expected to open in January (possibly with the Clássico Fortaleza vs Ceará), while Mineirão’s opening is scheduled for the 3rd of February 2013. Again, the occasion will be a Clássico, this time between Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro, who will both then permanently return to their long-time home.

Other Séria A clubs that will move into a new or redeveloped home before the start of the season are Recife‘s Náutico, Bahia and Vítoria – both from Bahia -, and Rio’s Flamengo and Fluminense, who will return to Maracanã.

Atlético Paranaense will likely have to wait a few more months before they can move back to the Arena da Baixada, while the planned new home of Corinthians in São Paulo will not be finished before the end of the 2013 season. Relegated Palmeiras can finally stop groundhopping and move into a new stadium in 2013, but just like the Grêmio Arena it won’t get to host World Cup matches.

These are therefore exciting times for Brazilian football, but also times that pose challenges. Attendances, for example, were abysmal during the 2012 Série A season, with clubs only averaging 13,196 spectators per match. This was obviously not helped by the many clubs without a proper home, but we recently also found out that Brazil has the highest ticket prices in the world if adjusted for wages, which was even before any new arena opened.

It will therefore be interesting to see if these new stadiums will boost attendances, how ticket prices will develop, and whether these will still be affordable for the common fan once clubs have moved to a modern home.

The cheapest tickets for the opening of the Grêmio Arena went for US$ 50.00, not a good omen, but then this included a live show and concert of the Blue Man Group. Still, the arena was completely packed for its opening.

(Photo credits: Grêmio Arena – Flickr user Mílton Jung, Estádio Beira-Rio – Flickr user copagov)

Opening Grêmio Arena marks a new dawn in Brazilian football

At the end of last Sunday’s member’s assembly, Real Madrid chairman Florentina Pérez had a little surprise for the socios. These were four models of four different proposals for the redevelopment of Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

The models had been vigorously kept secret up to the point that nobody was allowed to bring a mobile phone into the room where they stood. They will now be showcased to the fans, who will then be able to provide feedback on their preference.

We recently already dedicated an article on Florentino Pérez’s ambitions to turn the Bernabéu into a world class arena. In order to generate more income, the chairman wants to extensively redevelop the exterior of the stadium and provide all seats with cover. While extra seats may be added around the upper tier and thus raise capacity, the existing stands will undergo few changes.

During the meeting, Pérez added that he wants the stadium to be an “architectural icon” and “one of the most emblematic buildings of Madrid and the world”.

The four proposals come from four renowned architecture firms (plus Spanish partners). The following video gives a quick impression:

There are some conflicting accounts on the match-up of the models with the architects, but we think we have the combination right now after earlier reporting a different match.

The first proposal comes from the threesome of German firm GMP Architekten, Spanish firm L35, and Spanish firm Ribas. GMP’s impressive portfolio includes the Commerzbank-Arena, Warsaw‘s and Bucharest‘s recently completed new national stadiums, and a few World Cup stadiums currently under construction in Brazil.

Their proposal looks like this:

It is the only of the four designs that makes clear that the stadium has a retractable roof and how it (more or less) functions.

The second proposal comes from Norman Foster, who has partnered up with Rafael de La-Hoz. Both do not have the biggest portfolio if it comes to football stadiums, though Foster has worked on Wembley Stadium and once designed something crazy for Camp Nou, but both count among the world’s best architects.

Their proposal:

What stands out are the open spaces between the stands and roof, and the upper decks that provide for a view over the city of Madrid.

The third proposal comes from Herzog & De Meuron, who have worked together with Rafael Moneo. We know Herzog & De Meuron from their designs of the Allianz Arena, St. Jakob Park, and the future Bordeaux stadium, whereas Rafael Moneo is one of Spain’s leading architects.

Their proposal:

The exterior has a transparent and airy appearance, and what also strikes is that the top of the stands has the waving shape that is so common in modern stadiums these days. This also likely means an increase in capacity.

Finally, the fourth proposal comes from Spanish firm Estudio Lamela and the well-known Populous. The former has long been a partner of Real Madrid in the development of the Bernabéu, while the latter is responsible for the likes of the Emirates Stadium, Aviva Stadium, Estádio da Luz, and the under construction Grand Stade OL.

Their proposal:

The key feature here seems to be a giant 360-degree video screen that circles over the top tier, and which is being advertised as “the best screen in the world”.

The architects have only handed in their model and have not given their pitch yet, which means that few concrete details are known and that one can only make some guesses based on the images provided.

An online survey by Madrid newspaper Marca showed that most Madrid fans seem to prefer the Foster proposal, followed by the Herzog & De Meuron one.

Florentino Pérez wants to start building next summer, and expects works to last for two to three years. No schedule has been provided yet on when the club will choose one of the proposals, but further announcements will likely follow soon.

Real Madrid showcases four proposals for redeveloped Bernabéu

We’ve got a breakthrough! Oh no, that was slightly too optimistic. Wait, there’s hope again! Uhm, perhaps not anymore.

This is more or less the story of Valencia’s Nuevo Mestalla. In the last year, we have twice reported on good news and renewed hope that construction of the new stadium may finally resume again, but this is every time followed by a setback.

What’s more, the latest signals are that works are not going to be resumed any time soon. The bad guys this time are Bankia, the toxic bank that has been downgraded to junk bond status, that has been partly nationalised by the Spanish government, and that recently needed a €19 billion bail-out.

That’s indeed not a party you want to do business with right now, but Valencia do not have much choice, because they went into business with them over 5 years ago.

To be fair, it was first Valencia that started defaulting on their obligations, which was why the construction of the new stadium got halted in 2009. But whereas the club slowly got their act together, things deteriorated quickly for Bankia.

Still, both parties reached an agreement late last year on the financing of the remaining part of the project, estimated to cost €150 million. Part of the deal was the sale of the site of the present Estadio de Mestalla and some other assets to Bankia, which would pay off the existing debts and then allow for further financing of the remaining works.

It says something about the Spanish real-estate market that in 2006 Valencia had valued the site of Mestalla at €500 million, but that the club is currently aiming for a more modest €225 million.

There were some further conditions the club and city of Valencia had to comply with, but these got all sorted out over the summer. Valencia then announced the resumption of works in September, which is right now, but no construction workers have been spotted yet at the building site.

They are likely not going to arrive any time soon, as Valencia have now announced that they currently have no fixed date set for resumption of the works.

The culprit appeared to be Bankia, who have thus far failed to commit to the project and instead put it on stand-by. The real reasons for this are unclear, but it is obvious that the project remains highly risky and the money is just not enough to make the gamble. The bank cannot put any more toxic deals on its books in its current state. The uncertainty on what it can get for the site of Mestalla, now estimated to be as low as €150 million, does not help.

The problem for Valencia is that they don’t have any other option than to wait and hope the bank comes around. They cannot fund the project themselves, no other bank is likely to take the risks, and if Bankia pulls out and breaks the deal, the club will be very near to bankruptcy.

In the meantime, Valencia keep complying with their obligations, which means an interest payment of €15 million a year. With nothing to show for, that is very decent money that can now not be spend on the pitch.

Of course, the project is just one signature away of getting resumed and construction trucks may be driving up the site tomorrow, but one would advise the Valencia fans not to get their hopes up this time.

Photo credits: © Flickr user Olmo Axayacatl

No fixed date set for resumption of Nuevo Mestalla works

Feyenoord has chosen to build an entirely new stadium next to its current stadium De Kuip. In recent months, the club had been investigating two different options proposed by consortia led by construction firms, but today announced that they have chosen the proposal of the VolkerWessels consortium.

This proposal involves building a new stadium right next to De Kuip at Varkenoord, the site of Feyenoord’s youth academy. The stadium will have a capacity of 63,000 seats, which is about 13,000 more than the current stadium.

In addition to the extra seats, a total of 100 VIP boxes will be included in the new stadium, and it is expected to have a retractable roof in order to be used for multiple purposes. The club at the same time stated though, that the stadium will be most of all a football stadium, and wants the stands to be constructed as close to the pitch as possible.

Both the Emirates Stadium and Allianz Arena were mentioned as having inspired the plans, but no images have been provided yet. The above image was earlier provided, and is undoubtedly subject to change.

There is still a long road ahead for Feyenoord, which starts with getting more clarity on the funding.The current projections estimate that the total bill will end up at around €300 million.

Feyenoord themselves have not a single cent to contribute, and private investors therefore need to be found to pay for the stadium. The city of Rotterdam will be asked to provide a guarantee for a number of loans. A naming rights deal may also be part of the plans.

Feyenoord will use the upcoming months to prepare concrete financial plans, and then hopes to present these to the Rotterdam city council before the end of the year. Construction will not start before 2016, which means that the new stadium will be ready in 2018 the earliest.

The announcement follows a week of publicity for alternative plans presented by a group of entrepeneur/fans, who want the current Kuip to be renovated. We published an article yesterday that discusses these plans and compares them with building a new stadium.

Most Feyenoord fans have reacted negatively to the announcement, preferring a longer stay at their cherished home. Council members also reacted wary, and stressed that their financial commitments can only be modest.

Feyenoord has earlier presented other plans for the construction of a new stadium, most notably that for an eye-catching 80,000-seater on the banks of the river Meuse, but all failed to materialise.

Feyenoord chooses for a new Kuip

For years, the attendances of Lille have been a source of mockery for the rest of France. Of course, first Stade Grimonprez-Jooris and later Stade Lille-Métropole were poor homes, but a city the size of Lille, with over a million inhabitants, surely should be able to fill the 18,000 seats of Stade Lille-Métropole.

From this season onwards though, the image of Lille not being a football city may finally change. And the reason for this was the opening of the new Grande Stade Lille-Métropole on Friday night.

Lille’s Grand Stade has been the first large French stadium to open since the Stade de France in 1998, and the first club stadium since Parc des Princes in 1972.

It is a textbook example of a modern multifunctional stadium. It can serve as a football or rugby stadium for 50,000 spectators, be converted into a concert stadium for a maximum of 56,000 people, and even be boxed up into smaller indoor concert or sports arenas with capacities ranging from 8,000 to 29,500.

The stadium has, of course, a retractable roof, which can be opened and closed in 30 minutes and blocks any sunlight from entering. It also has ample corporate facilities and all you expect from a stadium that came at a cost of €300 million.

Perhaps not the most spectacular stadium at first sight, after all, it does not have a shiny exterior that light up, nor a single-stand kop, and not even bright-red seats, but it seems that it ticks all boxes in terms of providing a great football experience.

Which is also why 50,000 people showed up for the opening, and more importantly, that over 30,000 season tickets have been sold. Which means that the club has already proved the critics wrong that argued that 25,000 seats would be more than enough for a new stadium.

No spectacular opening match though, but a regular league match to kick things off. Guests were AS Nancy, who put up more of fight than many in the stadium had likely expected, and the home team therefore had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

If Lille survives the play-offs versus FC Copenhagen in the next weeks, the Grand Stade will already witness Champions League football in its first season, though the stadium’s big event will be the European Championships that will be held in France in 2016, and during which it is expected to at least host a quarter-final.

It is also a prelude of more to come, as both Nice and Lyon are already building new stadiums, Bordeaux is expected to do so within the next year, and extensive renovations will transform the stadiums of Saint-Etienne and Marseille.

Photo credit: © Lille OSC official Facebook page.

Lille opens Grand Stade with full house

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is not one for modest ambitions. While his galácticos have to bring successes on the pitch, he himself is busy to create legacy by turning Estadio Santiago Bernabéu into one of the world’s most modern arenas.

These plans were already presented last year, but recently received a firm push when a judge lifted a block on the project that had previously been put there to protect the rights and interests of affected parties.

Main objective of the project is, of course, to further exploit the commercial possibilities of the Bernabéu, which will be transformed in a place where people can eat, drink, and sleep 24 hours a day.

Most prominent is the construction of a completely new facade and roof. The stadium currently sports a rather traditional facade, and in particular the side of the stadium facing the main avenue Paseo de la Castellana is to undergo a massive transformation.

The new front will be built closer to the side of the avenue, which results in space being created for restaurants, up-scale shops, and a 5-star hotel. This hotel will also feature a number of rooms that will have a direct view onto the pitch.

Most seats at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu are currently already covered, but the roof does not yet reach until the lower tiers. The plans also aim to cover every seat at the stadium, and a retractable roof might be an option, though has not yet been confirmed.

One of the other features of the project is an underground parking lot with room for 1,500 cars. On the other side of the stadium, where currently sits the small “La Esquina del Bernabéu” shopping centre, space will be created for a park with playgrounds for children.

At the same time, Real wants to further increase capacity to at least 90,000 seats, which is over 5,000 more than its current total. This will presumably be done by extending the stand on the Paseo de la Castellana side, though the consequence would be that this particular stand will be higher than the other stands (which at the moment have the same height).

Real has already invited six major architecture firms to come up with a design, which include renowned names such as Norman Foster, Herzog & De Meuron, and Populous. The above design, earlier presented by the club, will therefore likely significantly change.

The whole project comes at a cost of €200 million, which the club hopes to recoup through the increased income of the commercial activities, estimated to be €50 million per year.

Real, however, is also considering selling the naming rights of the Bernabéu, which could bring in a further €40 to €50 million per year. The club is already exploring any interest among Asian or Arab investors, and Fly Emirates, the club’s new shirt sponsor from the 2013/14 season, may be a candidate. If a deal can be reached, the Arabs will be forking over up to €75 million per year to the Madrileños.

While the club has guaranteed that Bernabéu remains part of the name of the stadium – the sponsor name will be put in front -, such move will likely not be popular with the fans, and as the socios have the right to vote on the name change, there is still quite a bit of convincing to do by Florentino Pérez.

Madrid’s socios have earlier already approved the redevelopment plans, but there are still a few hurdles to clear before works can start, and the club does not expect this to happen within the next year. They hope to have concluded the works by the middle of 2015.

Real Madrid reach for the sky

While their bid for the Battersea Station site has already failed, Chelsea has decided to still release the images of the plans they had for their new stadium.

The images appear at Chelsea’s official website accompanied by a statement, which includes the following with regards to the design:

The design would integrate the stadium with the power station in a sensitive, unique and powerful way, with all significant historical aspects of the power station to be retained. In creating an iconic world-class stadium we would preserve the four chimneys and wash towers along with the historically significant west turbine hall and control room, all to be restored and retained in their original locations.

The plans are generally thought to have aimed for a capacity of 60,000 seats.

The reason why Chelsea has decided to release the images is unknown, though the club specifically states that it is currently not negotiating with the seller of the site, nor have information about the negotiations that are currently going on between the seller and the preferred Malaysian consortium.

At about the same time Liverpool fansite The Anfield Wrap published an email of Liverpool owner John W Henry, in which he explains the rationale of the Liverpool leadership in their new stadium debate.

Henry’s main point evolves around how difficult it is to build a 60,000-seater stadium without public money. He argues that it is almost impossible to do this without significantly raising ticket prices, in particular by adding premium seating. He furthermore doubts whether it is possible to do this in a city such as Liverpool, in contrast to the larger and wealthier London.

In his email he presents some very interesting figures on the annual matchday revenue and revenue per seat of England’s six largest clubs. These show that there is a significant gap in revenue per seat between Man United, Arsenal and Chelsea on the one hand, and that of Liverpool, Newcastle and Man City on the other.

In the Chelsea case it is therefore striking that they already have the highest revenue per seats of all English clubs, and one wonders if they can increase revenue per seat even further at a new stadium. If not, it will be hard to see how the stadium can be paid for if not out of the pockets of Roman Abramovich.

© Photos: all drawings above are the property of Chelsea Football Club Limited.

Chelsea reveal images of failed Battersea project

Inter is almost ready to present its plans for a new stadium, according to club president Moratti. The desire of Moratti to build an own stadium for the club is nothing new, however recent events have sped up the process and the president stated that important news will be presented in two or three months time.

Inter is currently playing its home matches at San Siro, a stadium it has shared with rivals AC Milan since 1945. The last renovation of the stadium dates from 1990 though, and time has had its effects on the colossus. What’s more is that San Siro is owned by the city of Milan, which limits the club in getting financial benefits from the stadium. A club-owned new stadium would solve this.

While vague plans have existed for some years now, the economic crisis prevented them from getting concrete and the club was forced to wait until the situation eased. This has now happened according to Moratti as he claims that a few interested parties have recently made their approach to the club. Among these parties is said to be an investment group from Qatar and a Chinese construction company Moratti recently met on a trip to China.

But no final decisions have been made yet as the club is still evaluating the options. For this they have hired Marco Fassone as a general director. Fassone was earlier in charge of Juventus’ new stadium project which led to the opening of the lauded Juventus Stadium last summer.

For inspiration of possible stadium designs the club is looking to London, more precisely the Emirates Stadium. According to newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Inter’s new stadium will have a similar look and feel as well as the same capacity of 60,000 seats.

Inter hopes to move into their new home in 2016, but building a new stadium in Italy is no easy task and thus far only Juventus has been able to get a new stadium off the ground. Other Serie A clubs that are looking to build a new stadium include AS Roma, Napoli, Cagliari, Palermo, and Catania.

Inter almost ready to present new stadium plans