44 days - that's how many days are left until the Copa del Rey final. Meanwhile, heavy equipment is still on the pitch of Estadio La Cartuja and on the as yet unfinished stands only the first seats are being installed. However, the stadium manager assures that everything is going according to plan.

Manager reassures: they will be in time for the final

While the example of Camp Nou may give Spanish fans cause for concern, the manager of Spain's unofficial national stadium assures that all works are in its final phase, strictly adhering to the schedule. According to the Estadio la Cartuja de Sevilla S. A. company, they will be completed in March.

This means that it will be around a month between the handover of the finished stadium and the Spanish Cup final (26 April). This should ensure that the turf, which has yet to be installed, is in perfect condition for the deciding clash, which will pit Atletico or Barcelona against Real Madrid or Real Sociedad.

The match will also be the first with a new capacity that will reach a little over 70,000 seats (the plans indicated 75,000 seats). The stadium manager assures that after the ongoing expansion of the stands the venue will be the third largest in Spain - after Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabéu - and thus push Estadio Metropolitano off the podium.

© Estadio la Cartuja | With the removal of the running track and the lowering of the playing area at La Cartuja, a new row of stands is being built, increasing the capacity from 57,619 to more than 70,000 seats.