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Coventry City granted extra time to confirm stadium plans

League One football club Coventry City has been given extra time by the English Football League to finalise plans to continue playing at the Ricoh Arena next season.

Last month, Coventry reiterated its desire to continue playing at the 32,000-seat Ricoh Arena during the 2019-20 campaign after the EFL demanded clarity over where it will stage home games after this season.

The club has a deal to play at the stadium, which is owned by Premiership rugby union team Wasps, until the end of the current season. City’s owners, Sisu, are currently embroiled in a legal dispute with Wasps over the sale of the stadium, which went through in 2014.

The BBC notes that the legal dispute involving Sisu and Wasps relates to a claim by Sisu that Coventry City Council undervalued the stadium by £27m (€31.5m/$35.4m) when selling it to Wasps.

Coventry had been given until Tuesday to provide a further update to the EFL Board on its plans. In a statement released yesterday (Wednesday), Coventry said it is “not yet in a position to provide absolute clarity” but is continuing to work with the relevant parties.

Should Coventry be unable to satisfy the requirements, the club faces the prospect of an Extraordinary General Meeting of Clubs being convened to consider its expulsion from the EFL on April 25. EFL clubs would need to be notified no later than April 2 of an EGM.

In the interim, Coventry said it will be given “every opportunity” to develop and present a suitable solution.

EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “We have today reviewed the position of Coventry City, and while we are still some distance away from having absolute confirmation, the EFL will continue to work with the club to progress every possible avenue in order to reach an appropriate resolution.”

Image: Tam