How about the new stadium?

One year ago, the remodelling project of the Camp Nou was officially presented.

Meanwhile, there has been a lot of criticism from socios and people living in the neighbourhood.

In an interview with Catalans newspaper Avui, Barcelona president Joan Laporta talked about how things stand today.




How about the remodelling of the Camp Nou?
The development of the club's assests is one of our objectives and the remodelling of the Camp Nou is the most visible project in that perspective. We're going through this very though process, it will ask time, also because we have to integrate our project in the whole restructuing of the Les Corts zone. At least, I want to have the project prepared when I will leave in 2010, the permission to start buildng should be there. I really think the project of Foster is excellent and it will make our stadium a landmark and an icon of the city.

The counter proposal of the city council doesn't prevent the project of being financially attainable?
We had proposed a more ambitious project, which was our duty, but we're looking at their proposal with the will to include the modifications and to go on with the project. We think FC Barcelona can play an role in the evolution of this city. I want to stress that we're not asking for any special treatment but to be treated just like other city development projects. And I think it shows.

There are socios who think that the Foster project will be a financial disaster for the club.
I have always said that this project won't cost the socio one euro.

But you will sell the zone of the Miniestadi to finance the stadium, isn't that empoverishing the club?
Until now we have made the club richer. We have more square metres of land, that also have more value, than before. We for example bought the Viladecans grounds, but we're also transforming what we have to make it more valuable. With the new project, we're in no way reducing the assets of the club and we're surely raising the value.

See a video of the Foster project here