It has been quite a struggle, but Turkish side Beşiktaş seems finally to have closed the deal for a new stadium. The last few months have seen more and more details come out, and it now seems likely that the club can start construction at the end of the season.
While rivals Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray already play at modern arenas, Beşiktaş’ plans to upgrade Inönu Stadi have consistently been hampered by postponements and changes. Often, this was due to the precious location of the stadium in one of Istanbul’s best areas along the Bosphorus. Throw in a main stand that is listed as a historic monument, and turning your ground into a construction site is not easy.
In the last year, the club’s fortunes slowly took a turn to the positive though, and a stream of leaks and announcements suggest that the project is gathering pace.
The latest news involved Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, himself a Fenerbahçe supporter, backing the project. At the same time, Hamburg’s Imtech Arena got mentioned as a model on which to base the new stadium.
The new arena will likely have a capacity of around 42,000 seats, which would be an increase of 10,000 in comparison with the present stadium. The monumental facade will be preserved, and the intention is to blend the stadium in with its surrounding and not to disrupt the city’s historic landscape along the Bosphorus, which includes Dolmabahçe Palace.
Works are expected to start directly after the season will have ended as to limit disruptions as much as possible. It is unclear whether Beşiktaş will be able to continue playing at Inönü in the new season, or if it will have to find a temporary home. Earlier requests to use Galatasaray’s Türk Telekom Arena were rejected by their rivals.