Featured image credit: Antoloji/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
Turkish Süper Lig football club Galatasaray is working on increasing capacity at its Nef Stadyumu by introducing safe standing areas to the stadium.
The Istanbul club’s plans have been disclosed by board member Bora Bahçetepe. “If we get spectators standing behind the goal, the stadium capacity will increase by eight to 10 thousand people,” he said, according to Turkish newspaper Hürriyet. “UEFA gave permission, we will get permission from the TFF (Turkish Football Federation) and the police.”
Part of the Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi, Nef Stadyumu first opened in January 2011 and has a current seated capacity of around 52,280.
Bahçetepe expanded further on the topic of safe standing in an interview with Asist Analiz’e, stating Galatasaray is taking inspiration from other European clubs.
He said: “In the first place, we have a study on this. UEFA allows standing spectators and we have a preliminary study for this.
“If we get standing spectators behind both goals there is an opportunity to increase the audience by approximately eight to 10 thousand people. Other increases are dependent on the stadium’s architectural permits and static structures.
“We are working on it and have been working on where to get the seats. If we get our legal permissions we will quickly open the stands behind the goal, step by step, to the standing audience.
“The spectators behind the goal of teams such as (Borussia) Dortmund and Liverpool, which have ardent supporters, are standing. We are ready for this situation in our own way.”
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