Darren Eales, president of Atlanta United, has said that the Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium is still on schedule to open in July.
United joined MLS at the start of the 2017 season and is currently playing its home games at the Bobby Dodd Stadium while work on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is completed. The stadium will also serve as the home of NFL American football franchise the Atlanta Falcons.
United is due to play the first game at the venue on July 30, but doubts have been raised over a possible delay due to issues with the retractable roof on the stadium.
However, Eales said that plans are still in place to begin playing matches at the new venue before the end of July.
“At this stage it is still as planned,” Eales said, according to ESPN.
Eales’ comments come after MLS commissioner Don Garber this week misspoke about the moving-in date for United.
During a ceremony for the unveiling of the club’s training complex, Garber said MLS “can’t wait to get into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in September”, instead of referencing the July date.
Garber has since moved to clarify his comments and said: “We are still focused to getting in as planned.
“The goal is to be into the stadium in late summer, so don’t read too much into my comments about September. Chalk it up to the commissioner getting too excited up on the podium.”
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