The visualisations and design of the new Benito Villamarín stadium resemble Real Madrid's stadium, and its operating model will also be similar. However, that is exactly what worries the opponents of upgrading Real Betis' stadium, as they fear that Verdiblancos' new arena will be the same nightmare for Sevilla residents that the Bernabéu is for Madrid residents.

Modernity and a touch of tradition

Real Betis Balompié announced last week that it had already received the basic project for the modernization of Estadio Benito Villamarín from Rafael de La-Hoz's studio. According to visuals released last year, the key elements of the modernization will be a new facade, a canopy and a commercial building next to the stadium.

The new facade will be similar to that of the new Santiago Bernabéu. Elongated metallic plates will completely cover the existing concrete walls. The number of these slabs - 13 - is no coincidence and is a nod to the history and tradition of the club, which has just that many white and green stripes in its coat of arms.

In order to cover the cost of the redevelopment and not lose liquidity, Real Betis has increased its capital by €35 million and, according to Bloomberg, is in talks with investment bank Goldman Sachs in to raise a loan of €120 million to refinance debt. The funds will help pay off old debts, and the new loan is expected to be more cost-effective. The deal will also cover the cost of building a new stadium.

© Rafael de la-Hoz, Gensler

New main stand and more VIP seats

The Preferencia stand will be completely demolished and a new one will be built in its place. This will make it possible to create a restaurant area, a club store and a conference centre for 400 people at its back. The other stands will be extensively upgraded, with the southern (Gol Sur) and northern (Gol Norte) stands receiving new screens and lighting and sound systems.

The new canopy will protect fans from inclement weather. In line with the club's sustainability policy, the canopy will be equipped with a rainwater drainage system, which will be used to water the plants. The roof will also feature an observation deck with panoramic views of the city. The number of VIP seats will increase from 1,200 to 3,700, in contrast to the overall capacity, which will drop slightly from 60,721 to 60,379 seats.

© Rafael de la-Hoz, Gensler

Another multi-purpose stadium

The design of a new arena for Betis also alludes to the Bernabéu in another aspect. Like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, Betis wants to have a stadium that is open 365 days a year, which is expected to increase the club's revenue by hosting a variety of events, including non-sports events, throughout the year. The new Verdiblancos’ arena will include several new elements of the 7/365 stadium:

• A 47-metre-high, 31,500-square-metre building with a hotel, recreation and sports centre and offices,
• 3 restaurant areas (the main one at the Preferencia stand and two smaller ones at Gol Sur and Gol Norte),
• An enlarged club store to 1,000 square metres,
• A modernised museum along with Real Betis Tour,
• An auditorium for 400 people.

The club building will provide the area with various services. It will likely include a hotel, club offices and a regeneration and sports centre. Earlier there was talk of opening a shopping centre, but strong opposition from local residents caused the club to abandon those plans. Since the site is owned by the city, as compensation the club intends to build there a public plaza 5 metres above street level.

© Rafael de la-Hoz, Gensler

Residents' concerns

Despite this, neighbours continue to oppose the construction of the building and have asked the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, the government subdelegation and the city hall to halt the work. A petition signed by nine organisations, as reported by Diario de Sevilla, protests the change of use of a green space into a private space of a sports nature.

The organisations also accuse the club of failing to meet FIFA and Council of Europe guidelines. We don't want a second Santiago Bernabéu here, said Jesús Villarreal, president of one of the neighbourhood associations in an interview with El Cierre Digital.

In the 2023/24 season in terms of attendance the Benito Villamarín was third in the country, attracting 973,914 spectators, an average of 51,259 people per game and a decent 84.4% stadium fill rate.

However, this was the stadium's last season in its current form as, if all goes according to plan, work will begin in the spring of 2025 and last two years. During that time Betis will play its matches at Estadio La Cartuja.

© Rafael de la-Hoz, Gensler