Rather ironically, in the year of Euro 2020 Brussels will again be in impasse, with no valid, aproved plan for a national stadium. But, KBVB and Golazo keep up their hopes for new Golden Generation Arena later on.

This week the aldermen of Brussels city decided that for at least one more year Koning Boudewijn Stadion would not be subject to any major changes. Retaining the status quo will come with a slight caveat: there are changes planned for a total of €1.5 million, including alterations to changing rooms, press and safety facilities, logistics areas, car parks and emergency exits.

Photo: Tram Bruxelles (cc: by-sa)

It's actually ironic that Brussels, the first city in many years to be excluded from hosting UEFA's European Championship, still has no valid stadium plan in the year when opening game of Euro 2020 should have been played here. As you surely remember, the vision of Eurostadion remains effectively dead despite efforts by Ghelamco to bring it back to the table.

Leaving the stadium unchanged for one more year only prolongs uncertainty over the long-term future of Heysel, where the current facilities stand. But KBVB (Belgian FA) and Golazo agency (organiser of Memorial Van Damme) are still hoping that their idea of Golden Generation Arena will come to fruition after 2020.

Halt on any major intervention for 2020 might not be bad in the end. Currently universities across Belgium are working on their concepts for how Koning Boudewijn Stadion might be redeveloped. It will surely contribute to the debate and might result in finding a new way forward. However, as we are reminded by our Belgian contributor... it might just not.