The club denies that the concrete skeleton is in a state of disrepair and clears up doubts: staying at Mestalla is not an option. In the midst of an atmosphere full of tensions, president Lay Hoon Chan announces the return of the machinery to Nou Mestalla.

The board and its opposition are at war

It could be the noose that drowns the club. Papi Robles, spokeswoman for Compromís, quoted by El Desmarque, is clear that Nou Mestalla is a danger for both the club and the city for its the lack of clarity and security. Her party joins the position of the group Últimes Vesprades a Mestalla, which calls to stay in the old stadium and reform it. According to Robles, mayor María José Catalá ignores the warnings about irregularities in the club's project and problems in the structure.

But Valencia is adamant. Staying at Mestalla is not an option, said the club's president, Lay Hoon Chan, at the press conference after the heated Shareholders Meeting held on Thursday in the stands of the current stadium. The project earmarks 1% of the budget to repair the concrete structure and according to the board, it is enough.

Everyone is attacking us for the new stadium and Mestalla added Layhoon Chan. The Shareholders Meeting made it clear that the board and the fans are in a state of war. From the stands, shareholders directed chants and insults against the club's representatives, who adjourned the meeting and went straight to voting.

© Futuro Mestalla | Nou Mestalla in 2009

The machinery will enter at the last moment

At the press conference also came the news of the day: the workers will return to Nou Mestalla site on January 10, one day before the deadline. Lay Hoon Chan promises a beautiful stadium, which will generate twice as much revenue as Mestalla. We will have better liquidity, better resources to invest in the team. Everything is linked together. I'm not lying, the president promised.

After its construction, which must be completed before July 12, 2027, the club will sell Mestalla. Thanks to this, it will liquidate around half of the €325M debt it wants to incur to finish the stadium. The company chosen for this task is the Spanish company FCC, with which Valencia is in very advanced negotiations.

© Valencia CF | Design of Nou Mestalla

Louzán supports Nou Mestalla and forgets about Vigo

Meanwhile the new president of the Spanish federation, Rafael Louzán, supports the Valencian project. In one of his first statements, he has promised to fight to put Nou Mestalla in the list of venues for the 2030 World Cup. He stated that Valencia deserves the World Cup, but in his declarations, he left out Vigo, whose neighborhood he hails from.

They have been left out, [...]Valencia and Vigo. I think my work should be precisely focused on that as well: keep the eleven we have, but, of course, add this one, Louzan said. A task that seems impossible because FIFA has already made its decision and the increase in the number of Spanish venues could cause opposition from Portugal and Morocco.