There has been talk of the Nou Mestalla for more than 15 years, and the outline of the stadium has even been established. Can we expect progress on the construction site? What could speed up the process of adding more components to the facility?

Nou Mestalla - a ghost stadium

The original concept for the new stadium on Avenida de les Corts Valencianes was presented in 2006. At the time, stands were planned that would hold 73,200 spectators. The entire investment was estimated at €344 million and construction work started in August 2007. Subsequently, concepts, potential stadium capacity and designs were revised for more than 10 years. As the club's financial situation worsened, the amount of money Valencia FC was able to pay for the continued construction of Nou Mestalla also decreased.

In 2021, another opportunity arose to complete the investment in the form of additional funding available through LaLiga's agreement with CVC Capital Partners. In June 2022, yet another concept for the completion of Nou Mestalla was presented. This time, the venue's exterior was to be finished with an airy, terraced façade and the tiered roof at the top was to be covered with photovoltaic panels, creating the largest canopy of its kind in Europe.

© Valencia CF

World Cup at the Nou Mestalla?

Valencia is bidding to host the 2030 World Cup and, as a result, there will be an institutional visit to the city this Thursday - April 13. There is concern about the timing, as FIFA will set the criteria that any stadium must meet as early as June, and the deal to unlock a new stadium in Valencia is in deadlock. For this reason, the RFEF is expected to visit the venue with immediate effect.

In addition to the club, awaiting the delegates from Madrid, will be the Valencia Football Federation, headed by president Salva Gomar, the City Council, represented by sports councillor Javier Mateo, and Josep Miquel Moyà, director general of sports at the Generalitat, who is leading the bid. The visit concerns not only the stadium in terms of works, which have been on hold for 14 years, but also the accessibility of the venue, commuting and other elements of the city's infrastructure necessary to host an event such as the World Cup.

© Valencia CF

Former Valencia footballer doesn't bite his tongue

Fabio Aurelio, who has played at Mestalla in the past, describes the situation surrounding the extended construction as sad. The Brazilian left-back, who played for Liverpool after his adventure with the Bats, was an eyewitness to the club's greatness. At the turn of the millennium, the Mediterranean team won two LaLiga titles and won the UEFA Cup. It was after this successful period that the idea of Nou Mestalla began its never-ending journey.

You look from the outside and think the stadium is finished, but it's not. Nobody can really say if that day will ever come. So, damn, it's sad because you've lived there and you know the city. The club and the fans deserve a stadium like this - Aurelio said. Will Valencia supporters ever live to see a new stadium? In June 2022, the club revealed that construction would resume in October, but that date has passed and there has been no progress. Construction is expected to be completed by 2025, although the possible relegation from the league may lead to further delay of those plans.

© Valencia CF