FC Andorra, which plays in Spain’s second-tier Segunda División, has been granted permission to build a new 6,000-capacity stadium on the site of the Prada de Moles sports facilities in Encamp.
The Commune of Encamp has awarded the club, which is owned by Barcelona player Gerard Piqué, the right to occupy the site. The project is expected to cost around €26m (£21.8m/$26.6m), with the Commune contributing €6m during the first phase.
Laura Mas, head of the Encamp council, said the proposal presented by FC Andorra calls for a stadium that will allow it to create a “benchmark” in the field of sport. The Commune said the stadium will deliver an indirect return of nearly €1m per year if FC Andorra is in the Segunda División and €1.7m if the club is promoted to the top division.
Permission has been granted on the condition that FC Andorra fulfils a series of requests within the next six months. FC Andorra will operate the Prada de Moles site for 35 years once the agreement has been finalised.
The proposal presented by FC Andorra includes several phases for the project. The first phase will include the construction of a training ground, which will be built at a cost of €900,000 on land adjacent to Prada de Moles.
The stadium itself would meet the requirements to play in the top-tier LaLiga, and FC Andorra plans to host other events at the venue to increase revenue.
FC Andorra will grant the Commune permission to use the stadium for 10 days a year. As part of the agreement, the Commune’s logo will also feature on the front of FC Andorra’s shirts for the next six seasons.
The club currently plays its home matches at the Estadi Nacional, home of the Andorran national team, and is about to embark on its first-ever season in the second tier of Spanish football.
Image: FC Andorra/Commune of Encamp
