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"The best stadium in the world" that has been empty for 14 years and caused 4 casualties

2023-04-22 21:35:39, Sport CNA

"The best stadium in the world" that has been empty for 14 years and

Valencia were due to move to their 80,000-seater Nou Mestalla stadium ahead of the 2009–10 season. But after fourteen years, fans are still waiting.

In 2007, boasting a squad featuring the likes of David Villa, Pablo Aimar, David Silva and Juan Mata, Valencia were confirmed as Spain's third biggest club.

Fans dreamed of further challenging the elite established in Barcelona and Real Madrid, and it was determined that a new stadium was needed to take them to the next level.

Work began on the grand plan, which would be called "the best football stadium in the world". But after Valencia was hit by the global financial crisis, the facility remains a battered shell of long-forgotten dreams as the once-proud club teeters on the brink of relegation.

By the end of 2008, Valencia were claimed to have paid off debts of £350 million. Their financing of Nou Mestalla depended on the sale of their old ground, but with the property market in chaos, FourFourTwo claim Valencia could not find a buyer.

After being denied a £90m loan by the bank, the debt-ridden club was forced to suspend proceedings in February 2009. While everyone at the club was disappointed with the outcome, the plan paled into insignificance in comparison to the tragedy that followed. it had happened during the construction works the previous year.

While builders were working on land in May 2008, a scaffolding collapsed, dropping 25 meters and instantly killing two workers. Two other men were not killed immediately, but died of their wounds in the following days. No negligence or fault on the part of the club, the construction firm or the workers themselves was identified by a subsequent investigation.

WHAT HAPPENED SINCE THAT TIME?

In the 14 years since the stadium's work stoppage, Valencia have continued to play at their 49,430-seat Mestalla home. A revival of the Nou Mestalla project has been touted on several occasions, but has yet to materialize.

Valencia were claimed to have agreed a deal with Bankia, a Spanish financial institution, to complete the ground in December 2011. The deal would have funded the completion of the Nou Mestalla – in exchange for Valencia's current ground.

Shortly after the agreement, however, the operation failed. Two years later, Valencia worked with architecture firm Fenwick Iribarren in an effort to complete their new work. Fenwick Iribarren presented a modified, less ambitious project which would have reduced capacity to 61,000.

However, once again, a restart failed to materialize. Fans were excited by the prospect of their club working with the council to complete the job in 2017, but once again nothing happened.

In June last year a new plan was put in place which would see work restart in October before the end of next season... at a smaller capacity than their current stadium. October came and went and to this day the work has not yet resumed.

On the pitch, the club once in Spanish football's elite has been reduced to a club struggling for survival by owner Peter Lim, who bought them in 2014. With nine games remaining, Voro's side sit 19th in La Liga – three points away from survival. Valencia have not been in Europe since the 2019-20 season.