Barca Fans Vote On Stadium

Upgrade Soccer club FC Barcelona will ask its fans to vote on whether it should go through with a euro 600 million ($812 million) upgrade to its famous Nou Camp Stadium.

Photo: AP Photo / Manu Fernandez

during a soccer match Jan. 8.

The club’s board of directors voted unanimously Jan. 20 to go with the remodeling project, but in April a referendum will be put to its members.

Club president Sandro Rosell said the club will hold the referendum April 5 or 6, coinciding with a home game.

Although in the U.S. and U.K. the decision would likely be taken by whatever corporate honcho that owns a sports club, Barelona is owned and operated by its supporters.

The Nou Camp is in the district of Les Corts, and has been the club’s home since it was built in 1957.

It was previously enlarged in 1982.

The plans would see the capacity upped from 98,000 to 105,000.

They also include the building of an indoor arena of 10,000- to 12,000-capacity for Barcelona’s basketball, handball and roller hockey teams on the site of the current stadium for the Barcelona B soccer team, which would move its games to the club’s training facility.

The plans were arrived at following a euro 1 million study with involvement from international experts such as ISG, AEG, Icon Venue Group, and RLB. Barcelona’s total revenues were euro 509 million ($689 million) last year.