Images: Sevilla FC
Spanish LaLiga football club Sevilla has presented plans for a new Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán highlighted by an extensive roof structure and a single tier Gol Norte stand that will house 15,000 fans.
Sevilla unveiled the preliminary project plan, drawn up by Spanish engineering, design and consultancy firm IDOM, at its general shareholders’ meeting yesterday (Monday). The club has long been assessing means to meet rising demand for games at the stadium, its home since 1958.
The Sánchez-Pizjuán has undergone a number of developments in recent years, with capacity currently sitting at 43,833. In July 2019, Sevilla outlined plans to add a third tier, potentially expanding capacity at the stadium to around 60,000.
Reports emerged in July that Sevilla was leaning towards a project that would increase the capacity of the stadium to 55,000, news which was confirmed in September. The plans outlined yesterday will see the existing stadium demolished to make way for a new structure which will make the new venue one of the cornerstones of the club’s strategic plan.
Sevilla said in a statement: “The new Sánchez-Pizjuán will not only be a benchmark sports venue, but it will also be a prominent building in the city of Seville, which will be linked to the city’s incomparable urban history, its culture and its heritage.
“The design of the preliminary project, developed with IDOM, seeks to identify the key values in the great stages of the history of Seville through reference to great examples of its architecture and cultural heritage such as the Real Alcázar, Archivo de Indias and Catedral de Sevill, to project them into a new stadium, contemporary, sustainable, technological and rooted in the city’s tradition.”
While capacity will be increased to 55,000, 10% of which will be reserved for premium seating, the idea is that the new stadium will retain the intimate atmosphere of the original, most notably through the delivery of a 15,000-capacity Gol Norte, which will be a first for Spanish football, but will be akin to the Südtribüne at Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s South Stand.
Meanwhile, the roof structure will expand beyond the stadium itself, creating shaded space which is designed to enable the hosting of events beyond matchdays. Indeed, a new Plaza de Nervión on the south side of the stadium intends to be a versatile, ventilated space that will serve as the main entrance to the stadium and the new face of Sevilla.
Work is expected to commence on June 1, 2026, with a two-year construction period envisioned. With the stadium to maintain its current height on the Seville skyline, the capacity increase will be achieved through the pitch being sunk below ground level.
José María del Nido Carrasco, chief executive of Sevilla, revealed in September that the club’s budget for the stadium revamp had increased from €200m (£171.6m/$216.8m) to €350m. Yesterday’s presentation put the figure at between €300m and €350m, with between €60m and €80m expected to be received from LaLiga Impulso, LaLiga’s strategic venture with global investment fund CVC Capital Partners.
The project will raise questions over where Sevilla will play its games while work takes place. Estadio de la Cartuja has already been lined up as a temporary home for city rival Real Betis for two seasons from 2024-25, as the LaLiga club redevelops Estadio Benito Villamarín.
The Sánchez-Pizjuán originally had a capacity of around 70,000, with all fans standing at games. This was reduced to 66,000 for Spain’s hosting of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, before UEFA regulations on all-seater stadia dropped capacity further to 43,000 in the 1990s.
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