Power Horse Stadium – design description

How did the plans to redevelop the Almería stadium originate?

Almería's stadium opened on July 31, 2004 and was built in connection with the XV Mediterranean Games in 2005, of which it was the main arena. The stadium had an athletics track, surrounded by covered stands capable of holding 15,000 spectators (capacity was increased to 23,000 spectators in the 2007/08 season). Hosts of the arena were UD Almería footballers, who moved from Estadio Juan Rojas.

The presence of an athletics track was a problem for the football club, reflected in the installation of temporary stands behind the goals in the 2012/13 season. This took the track out of use, as well as the sections on the arches, causing the capacity of the venue to drop back to 15,000 spectators.

In August 2019, Saudi Turki Al-Sheikh became the club's new president and one of his first promises was to redevelop the stadium. Plans were presented on August 19 2020 at the city hall, and on October 8, 2020 the concept was made public.

What is the concept for the redevelopment of Almería's stadium?

The plan is to redevelop the stadium in two phases, with the entire project expected to cost more than €18 million. In the first stage, a new façade will be created and the seats will be repainted in red, which will become the dominant colour in the stadium. In addition, the interior of the stadium will undergo a complete refurbishment.

In the second phase, the work will involve lowering the pitch and converting the stands to a football-specific layout, so that the athletics track will be removed. Instead of temporary metal structures, permanent reinforced concrete stands will be erected behind the goals. The redevelopment will increase the capacity of the stadium to 25,000 spectators. However, the facility should retain its current oval shape.

When will the Almería stadium be rebuilt?

Following the club's concession to use the stadium for the next 25 years, work on phase one of the redevelopment began in August 2021. Their completion was celebrated with a concert held on July 30, 2022. In the meantime, the venue has also gained a title sponsor, so that from July 1, 2022 it will be named Power Horse Stadium (instead of Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos).

The club hopes to begin phase two of the redevelopment in the 2023/24 season, to be carried out in stages so that the stadium can host UD Almería matches.