Environmental impact assessment shows there are no critical obstacles that would block Club Brugge’s planned new stadium. The 40,000-seater gets closer to fruition.

Yesterday Club Brugge was fighting against Legia Warszawa in Europa League, but earlier the club received good news about their much greater campaign: building a new stadium. Environmental impact assessment gives a green light to the project as no insurmountable obstacles were found.

The 40,000-capacity arena is planned along major route leading north from the city, Blankenbergse Steenweg. One significant change forced by the assessment is the necessity to increase number of parking spots from 7,200 to over 8,000. Not all of these however need to be placed in direct vicinity of the building.

A slight blowback is the lack of financial support from the Flemish Government. Regional authorities were ready to pledge €2.5 million towards the project, but only if Cercle Brugge were still going to participating in it. The less known club from Brugge however decided to stay at Jan Breydel Stadion and redevelop it into a more intimate venue.

Compared to the entire project budget of €100 million ($115m), the lack of €2.5 million is hardly a major hurdle though. Club Brugge are hopeful of having their new home ready in 2019.

While there are no renderings presenting the final vision about to be built, we’re illustrating the project with images presenting a different 40,000-capacity stadium planned in Brugge, one proposed as part of the 2018 World Cup bid (later scrapped).