The federal government of Belgium, the government of Flanders, and the city of Brussels have come to an agreement which should lead to the construction of a new football stadium in Brussels, which is to replace the present King Baudouin Stadium.

King Baudouin Stadium, formerly known as Heysel Stadium, got extensively redeveloped in the 1990s, but lacks the modern facilities of the newly built stadiums of these days.

However, decisions on building new national stadiums are not taken quickly, and things get even more difficult in Belgium with multiple governments involved.

The present plans aim to built a complete new stadium with a capacity of 60,000 seats at the site of a car park close to King Baudouin Stadium, though just outside the Brussels city limits, which meant that the government of Flanders had to get involved. As the site directly borders the Brussels city limits and is dependent on the city in terms of mobility and safety, no stadium could get built without the city giving the go ahead either.

In the end, the debate got most intense on whether the new stadium should include an athletics track. King Baudouin Stadium is the proud host of the Memorial Van Damme athletics games, which count as one of the world’s most prestigious athletics events. 

Different plans were considered involving a new stadium with either retractable stands over the track or with a retractable roof. Having both features would be too expensive. In the end was chosen for the retractable stands, which won over most opposition of the critics.

There is, however, one small problem, which is that nobody wants to pay for the new stadium. No governments, and not the national football federation, who do not deem it worth for the 6 matches a year they make use of the stadium.

The money will therefore have to come from private investors, and attracting a football club seems like a necessity. The only real candidate to move in seems Belgian champion Anderlecht, who have long sought to expand their Constant Vanden Stock Stadion, however with  little success. While doubling their capacity may be a bit too ambitious, it may just be the best there is for them. Whether that means they think it is worth breaking the bank for, however still remains to be seen.

At the same time, the Belgian football federation also submitted the new stadium as a candidate for the 2020 European Championships, which will get played in venues all across Europe.

If the new arena gets built, this spells the end for King Baudouin Stadium. The iconic stadium is one of the European stadiums that has hosted most European Cup finals, but will most of all be remembered by the last of all: the one between Juventus and Liverpool that was the stage of the Heysel disaster that cost the lives of 39 fans. 

Political agreement on new Brussels football stadium

Cardiff City have announced plans for the gradual expansion of Cardiff City Stadium to a final capacity of 38,000 seats. The newly promoted club of ambitious owner Tan Sri Vincent Tan hope that the increase will guarantee their long-term survival in England’s top division.

The plans are as follows:

Phase one development proposes to add a second tier to the club’s Ninian Stand and increase the capacity of Cardiff City Stadium to approximately 33,000.

The structure is set to incorporate over 5,000 extra general admission seats with the expansion also offering numerous commercial and hospitality opportunities to the football club. 

The club have already applied for planning permission and hope to get preliminary works underway in October of this year, with scheduled completion in July 2014. The first phase will then be followed by the addition of another 2,500 to 3,000 seats at each of the ends, raising capacity to a total of 38,000 seats.

The works will have no impact on capacity during the current season. Cardiff City Stadium is scheduled to host the UEFA Super Cup in September 2014.

Cardiff City announce stadium expansion plans

They have had to wait for it for many years, but DC United finally seem to be getting closer to building their own soccer-specific stadium.

The club has long tried to follow the string of MLS clubs that built new homes and subsequently saw attendances jump up, but they came never close to reaching a deal with the city of Washington DC about a location. Instead, they have had to keep playing their home matches at the much-too-large and ill-suited RFK Stadium.

Now, however, they have finally come to an agreement with the city over building a new stadium at Buzzard Point in the south of DC. The club will pay for building the stadium and the city for the land and infrastructure.

“This is an exciting plan that moves the District forward in two areas about which I’m passionate — economic development, particularly in the East End of the District, and sports,” said Mayor Gray. “The new soccer stadium is the final piece in the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative puzzle that, when complete will create the most vibrant and sustainable sports-and-retail district in America.”

DC United aim for a stadium with a capacity of 20,000 t0 25,000 seats, which is pretty much in line with what has been built elsewhere in the US. They also released a few renderings of the design, though specifically stated that these were still preliminary and subject to change.

The club, of course, showed delight in having reached a deal:

“We are proud to say that D.C. United has achieved a major milestone towards establishing a permanent, state-of-the-art home in Washington, D.C.,” said United managing partner Jason Levien. “This is a significant step forward, and we are going to continue to work diligently and collaboratively with the Mayor’s office and the D.C. Council to expedite this process and make this stadium a reality.”

That said, there is still a long legal road ahead before spades can go into the ground and United fans will be holding their breath and hope that this time luck will be on their side.

DC United edging closer to new stadium

British architecture firm AFL Architects have been appointed to design FC Kuban Stadium. The 45,000-seater will become the new home of Kuban Krasnodar, replacing Stadion Kuban, but will not host any 2018 World Cup matches following the snub of Krasnodar as a host city by FIFA and the organising committee.

This is what AFL say about the design of FC Kuban Stadium:

The current design approach is influenced by the Russian artist and architect El Lissitsky. He believed that an artist could be an agent for change. He also believed “The simpler the shape, the finer precision and quality of execution required….”

He is considered to be one of the founders of Constructivism and Russian Futurism, architectural languages that current world famous architects such as Zaha Hadid, Daniel Liebestkin and Coop Himmelbau have all taken inspiration from.

The golden plates or shards on the elevations are a representation of the sunflower petals and of the Golden Wheat field patterns, broken by the clear openings; the rivers of life that feed the land. These shards peel away from the bowl, revealing the excitement and activities happening inside.

…

The folded plates of gold shards are shading screens to the accommodation within the stadium, reducing the need and reliance on air conditioning and cooling. They shield the VIP’s and spectators, almost like a veil, from the heat of the summer sun, whilst allowing glimpses and views through the screens which allows everyone to view from outside in, and inside out, to participate in the event, to be a part of the carnival that is a match day.

More images, all courtesy of AFL Architects:

AFL appointed to design FC Kuban Stadium

In less than a year time two large brand new stadiums have opened in Stockholm. First there was the 50,000-capacity Friends Arena, which has now been followed by the slightly smaller Tele2 Arena.

The result is that all three of Stockholm’s big football clubs now play in a new home: AIK in the Friends Arena, and Hammarby and Djurgårdens in the Tele2 Arena.

The Tele2 Arena is more than just a football ground though, as it has been specifically built to serve as a major concert venue. It is therefore no surprise that large entertainment group AEG, who also own Hammarby, had a strong hand in the construction of the new arena. Thus far, Nordic bands Gyllene Tider and Volbeat have already been booked to play at the arena, while the official opening on the 24th of August will also be a concert night.

Football had the honour to first use the Tele2 Arena though, and with two clubs sharing there was the inevitable conflict of who could kick off first. The obvious choice were Hammarby as they had been the destined occupant of the arena all along, while Djurgårdens only joined up when their own new stadium plans fell through. The league match versus Örgryte had to be the occasion.

Things went slightly out of hand though when a Djurgårdens veteran team got to play a test match at the stadium, which Hammarby fans considered to be an illegal opening. While feeling somewhat hard done by was not that unreasonable, placing a bomb outside the stadium during that test match was a slight overreaction.

However, in the end veteran test matches don’t really count, and Saturday’s match versus Örgryte was therefore the one that will go into the history books. Djurgårdens fans had their own opening one day later when they squared off versus Norrköping, and the festivities were capped off when Hammary received Paris Saint-Germain for a friendly. On all occasions the 30,000-arena was sold out or close to a sell-out.

(Photo credits: Wikimedia user Swedishpenguin)

Stockholm welcomes second new arena

UEFA’s executive committee has awarded the 2015 Champions League final to Berlin’s Olympiastation, whereas Warsaw’s Stadion Narodowy w Warszawie was chosen to host the 2015 Europa League final:

The 2014/15 UEFA Champions League final will be staged at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, while the National Stadium Warsaw will hold the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League showpiece.

The decision on the hosts of the major European club competition finals in two years’ time was announced by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting in London on Thursday.

For both stadiums it is their first European Cup final, though Olympiastadion already boasts a World Cup final, while Stadion Narodowy hosted the opening match of last summer’s European Championships.

Next year’s finals will go to Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz and Turin’s Juventus Stadium.

(Photo credits: wikimedia user Chrisgj6)

European finals for Berlin and Warsaw

The legendary Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro has reopened with a first test match after three years of building works. Before hosting another test match on the 15th of May, it will then officially open on the 2nd of June with a friendly between the Brazilian and English national teams.

The reconstruction of Maracanã has been a painful one, plagued by workers strikes, delays, and budget overruns. What results is a stadium that still has the same look and feel of the original arena, but with new stands and a new roof, and a capacity of 78,838 seats, of which 1,000 premium seats.

Last night’s occasion was an exhibition match between two teams of Brazilian ex-players led by Ronaldo and Bebeto. Capacity was capped at about 30,000 spectators, which were comprised of the builders that helped build the stadium, their friends and relatives, and the obligatory dignitaries from the football and political world, including Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff.

The stadium’s opening faced similar glitches as those surfaced during the opening ceremonies of other Brazilian World Cup stadiums, such as a lack of water in various toilets and a number of seats coming loose.

After the official opening, Maracanã will go on to be a playing venue of the Confederations Cup this summer and will host seven matches during the 2014 World Cup, among which, of course, the final. It will also become the home of Rio clubs Flamengo and Fluminense.

(Photo credits: Glauber Queiroz/Ministério do Esporte)

Maracanã reopens with first test match

Queens Park Rangers will keep pushing ahead with their plans to build a new 35,000 to 40,000-capacity stadium even if the club relegates, something that has became increasingly probable in recent weeks. They also took out a loan in connection to their plans:

QPR owner Tony Fernandes hopes to have some “good news” about the club’s search for a new stadium within a fortnight.

The struggling Premier League club made the news on Tuesday when it emerged that a £15 million loan had been taken out against their assets, including current stadium Loftus Road, with Barclays Bank in Hong Kong.

But Fernandes took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to explain his decision to borrow money.

Loan for qpr is for new stadium. Next 2 weeks will be hopefully good news. But work is starting. We will not say anymore on stadium.

— Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) April 17, 2013

QPR is thought to be focusing on two different sites for a new stadium: one in the west of London and one in the north-west.

Swansea City have also released further details on how they want to expand Liberty Stadium:

The club have submitted plans to increase the capacity, which from next season will be 22,500, to around 33,000.

If backed by Swansea council, work will be carried out over three phases.

The club have included how they will handle the extra traffic that an increased capacity will bring.

In a statement, the club said: “The works proposed would see the extension of the North, South and East stands of the stadium in a phased manner over the next three to five years.”

…

Phase one could begin at the end of next season and would see the East Stand capacity increased by 3,844 which does not include completing the corner sections. The other two phases would follow.

Separate works on the West Stand at the end of this season will already lift capacity from the present 20,500 to 22,500 seats.

Southend United’s plans for a new stadium, on the other hand, have been one long struggle and are now said to a on “knife-edge“:

The club has planning permission for a 22,000-seat stadium at Fossetts Farm.

If the scheme goes ahead, Sainsbury’s plans to build a supermarket on the site of its current Roots Hall ground.

But in a letter to Southend Council the partners said that a £6m donation towards the town centre was no longer viable and have offered £3.5m instead.

The League Two club originally agreed to make the payment as part of planning conditions, but the sum has been at the centre of a dispute which has delayed work on the scheme.

…

“The scheme was conceived in an entirely different world when the offer of £6m was made in 2007 and we, along with many others, could not have foreseen the financial landscape of today.”

Finally, West Ham United vice-chairman Karen Brady has addressed West Ham fans in a 7-minute video on the club’s Olympic Stadium conversion plans:

QPR, Swansea, Southend and West Ham elaborate on stadium plans

Sampdoria have taken another step closer to realising a new seaside home after presenting their plans to a special committee of the city of Genoa.

Sampdoria hope to build a new 30,000 all-seater in the place of the present Palasport indoor arena and Fiera exhibition centre. The site has an appealing seafront location with adjacent marina and lies at walking distance from Genoa’s city centre.

The club’s plans are not new though, as they have long expressed the desire to move out of shared Stadio Luigi Ferraris and into a new club-owned stadium. Progression has been slow though and last week’s presentation was only a small step closer to reaching their goal.

The new stadium will be able to incorporate some of the functions of the present exhibition centre, and plans furthermore involve the construction of a smaller indoor arena with place for 2,500 people. There are a total of 1,000 parking spaces envisioned alongside the stadium.

While environmental impact will be relatively limited, the big obstacle, as usual, is likely going to be funding. The project is estimated to cost at least € 200 million and the city of Genoa has already indicated little enthusiasm to contribute.

Sampdoria, without much money on the bank either, hopes to fund part of the project with related commercial developments and may also seek the help of Italian Olympic committee CONI and Fiera. Further talks with these parties are scheduled for later this month.

Sampdoria take step closer to seafront stadium

Some smaller bits of stadium news from the last week:

• West Ham United have released a few architectural drawings that show how they see the London Olympic Stadium post conversion:

   

  An automated system using drive motors will move all four sides of the lower bowl forward to bring the seats closer to the pitch, thus ensuring that the running track will not be visible when the stadium is in football mode.

  The designs are such that the seating distances will now compare favourably with the best in UK stadia such as the Emirates and Wembley and the top stadia around the world. By way of example they will be 10m closer to the goal line than the Stade De France in Paris, which boasts a similar system.

  The text behind the two goals offers a suggestion of which two stands will be named after club legends Bobby Moore OBE and Sir Trevor Brooking.

  

• Udinese have reached agreement with the Udine municipality on a 99-year lease on the terrains of Stadio Friuli, which means that the redevelopment works on Friuli can start in the summer. While the lease and plans had already been announced in the summer of last year, it took until this week for the formal agreement to get signed.

   

• In the meantime, Cagliari Calcio have reverted to playing their home games behind closed doors following renewed safety concerns on the state of Stadio Is Arenas. AC Milan have now voiced their concerns that Cagliari’s shenanigans may have impacted the course of the Serie A championship:

   

  “On February 10, 2013, Milan played before a full stadium, like six other teams. Three teams played in front of only season-ticket holders, three behind closed doors.

  “Only one, Juventus, [played] at a neutral ground. In one instance, a 0-3 was awarded (to Roma), and nobody knows what will happen in the next few days…

  “In light of decisions that any person of good sense would judge incomprehensible on account of the different rulings in essentially identical cases, it’s clear that the normal course of the Serie A championship has been altered.”

• Things neither look good for São Paulo’s new stadium with delays piling up and people now openly doubting whether the stadium will be ready in time for the 2014 World Cup. This time, the problem is a financing conflict between the construction companies and state-controlled banks:

   

  Yet in the latest of several problems plaguing preparations for the event, and a sign of broader issues with big infrastructure projects in Brazil, the companies building Itaquerão have yet to receive a promised 400 million reais ($200 million) loan from state-controlled banks.

  The builders say they will stop construction soon unless the banks drop their demands for additional financing guarantees.

  A delay could, in turn, force the government and world soccer body FIFA to push the Cup’s opening match to a different city, find an alternate stadium for games in Sao Paulo – or in a worst-case scenario, leave the city totally out of the Cup.

Olympic Stadium drawings, Udinese agreement, and São Paulo delays