Symmetrical stands, an illuminated façade and a retractable roof. These promises, made by the mayor of Valladolid, are now history. The city council is promising a more pragmatic approach to the redevelopment of Estadio Jose Zorrilla, but for now the only visible work is the patching of holes at the entrances.

The electoral promise won’t be completed

The work will be carried out in several phases, transforming the stadium into an agora that will host multipurpose events, promised Mayor Jesús Julio Carnero back during the 2023 election campaign. The renderings he published showed an Estadio José Zorrilla similar to the new Bernabéu: symmetrical stands thanks to the reconstruction of the southern sector, an illuminated façade and a retractable roof. The work was expected to cost €25M.

I pay less and less attention to these infographics because they are creations of a will, but they do not come from any project, replied during a debate at Valladolid City Council José Ignacio Zarandona, head of the urban planning department, after being asked about the status of the project. The statement was surprising as the visualisations were provided by his immediate superior and party colleague, Mayor Carnero. However, Carnero announced in January that the work would be limited to closing the southern sector.

Tweet Jesús Julio Vaquero https://x.com/jesusjuliova23/status/1660586255887876096

— Jesús Julio Vaquero (@jesusjuliova23) May 22, 2023

“A bit of patience”

We don't want to build a mini Bernabéu, we want a José Zorrilla for our time, he elaborated, and announced that work would start as soon as possible. However, this did not convince the opposition, which pointed out to Zarandona that it had been almost two years since Mayor Carnero took office and the only work carried out on the stadium was the patching of potholes in the pavements and car park area, which had started in recent weeks. They also claimed that they had an agreed deal with the club in 2023, but faced with defeat at the election left the matter in the hands of the new mayor, who has not only failed to support his predecessors' vision, but has also failed to implement his own so far.

Zarandona, in response, asked for the work to improve the area around the stadium to be appreciated as, according to him, no one has fixed them for years, even decades. I ask for a bit of patience. Such matters should be approached with discretion, he concluded.

© Real Valladolid | Estádio Jose Zorrilla is now 43 years old, but it underwent its only major redevelopment in 1986, when the north stand was extended. Now similar work is to include the south stand.