Built with money from the sale of Sergio Agüero. Opened when half of the work was completed. Stripped of a roof and facade to save money. Estadio Libertadores de America will undergo a major overhaul, but CA Independiente has an original plan: it won’t pay a single peso for it.

New plans, or endless construction

Estadio Libertadores de América is a story in itself. Independiente’s stadium was built thanks to the sale of Kun Agüero to Atletico Madrid for €23M and Oscar Ustari for €8M to Getafe. Its construction began in 2007, and it was inaugurated just two years later. The stadium's completion rate at the time, however, reached 60%, and work, with a break in the financially difficult years of 2013-14, continued until 2017.

The facility, whose name refers to the 7 Copa Libertadores titles won by Independiente, is one of the most modern in Argentina. Despite this, in December, secretary Rubén Conde announced in an interview with Orgullo Rojo that the stadium is getting on and revealed that the club is working on plans to expand and modernize it.

© Morten F | Construction of the stadium lasted until 2017. Pictured is the unfinished devil's throat a year before the completion of works.

A stadium bigger than La Bombonera

The club's intention is to increase capacity by about 16,000 seats, which would make Estadio Libertadores de America the second largest venue in the country after Mâs Monumental. With a total capacity of 58,000 seats, Independiente's home would be bigger than the iconic La Bombonera.

To make this happen, a third floor will be built above the current two-level stands. The exception is the Bochini grandstand, where several floors of VIP boxes will be built. Plans also include a multi-level parking for 800 cars, as well as a club museum.

For fans, however, the most important news is the construction of the long-promised and long-awaited canopy to protect the entirety of today's completely exposed stands from rain. The work is expected to take 18 months, but the team will not have to move while it is being done.

The project is interesting, because it will be free

The project will be voted on by the socios in the coming weeks, and they will most likely approve the board's plans. Especially since the club does not intend to pay a single peso for the redevelopment: estimated by Infobae at $20-30M, the investment will be privately financed, and the entire cost is expected to be recouped in 15-30 years through ticket sales for the new seats.

We would have a completed and First World stadium, assures club president Néstor Grindetti in an interview with TyC Sports, although he notes that they are still working out the details of the deal. The project is interesting because it won't cost anything, he adds.

© RAsenReisen | Above the current two floors of stands, called bandejas (trays in Spanish), another one will be built. The entire structure will be covered by a roof.