On the suburbs, behind the ring road, on the site of the old stadium or in a green quarter near an athletics facility? All potential locations for the planned new arena will be discussed at a special meeting in Zaragoza on 26 April.

Estadio de La Romareda has been the home pitch of Real Zaragoza since its opening in 1957. The stadium has undergone several major renovations in its history. First one happened between 1977 and 1982 in preparation for the World Cup. It was modernised for the second time in 1992, before the football matches during the Barcelona Summer Olympics.

© Real Zaragoza

Although today the local team Real play at the level of the Spanish second division, in the past the venue has also hosted many prestigious club matches. Blanquillos have played here in European cup fixtures. The venue is especially remembered by Polish fans. In 2000 Real won at home against Wisła Kraków 4:1. In the rematch, the "White Star" was able to fight back and win on penalties.

For football fans in Poland till today it is one of the most memorable two-match series, because probably nobody bet on such a turn of events. Especially since betting wasn't as popular as now, because nowadays the number of online bookmakers is impressive, which can be checked easily at www.probukmacher.pl.

© Fenwick Irribaren Architects

The possibility of building a new stadium in Zaragoza was first raised in 2002. Since then it was always one blocking factor: the lack of funding. That is why neither the 2004 concept nor the 2008 idea ever made it to the construction stage. But it seems that the capital of Aragon will finally get a modern arena.

The city and the region's authorities have begun to speak with one voice on the matter. The fact that the club was recently sold to an investment group headed by businessman Jorge Maas is also an important boost. The new owners are promising a return of Real to the fight for the highest goals.

© Fenwick Irribaren Architects

The first step towards a new stadium is identifying the right location. There are several possibilities, all written down in a special document. On 26 April the local authorities, the club and the interested parties will take each of them for a closer look during a meeting organised by the city council.

One of the alternatives is the possibility of leaving the stadium in the same place where it is today. In this case, there is already a design by Lamela Studio, which would only have to be updated. The second parcel is located east of the San Jose district, on the outer side of the Hispanidad bypass. It is considered that it would have good road access, but a tram route would need to be constructed, which increases the time and cost of the project.

© www.lamela.com

Another one is Actur district: specifically, the area where the northern car park of the Expo is located. Due to its dimensions, the document states that part of the car park could be used for the new football pitch, with enough land left over for a parking area for this use and the rest of the plot.

Option 4th is Valdespartera, a site well connected thanks to the ring road and the tram. In this case, as in any other related to the relocation of the stadium, the City Council would receive more revenue by redeveloping the current site. It is also believed that the construction would be simpler because it is an undeveloped area where demolition does not have to take place.

© www.lamela.com

The document also lists others in which no progress has been made in the study because they do not present "advantages with respect to those already presented", fitting "worse into the urban structure" or a "greater complexity of management".