Featured image credit: FC Sion
Swiss Super League club FC Sion has revealed updated plans for its proposed new ‘Matterhorn Coliseum’ stadium, which could be constructed by 2029.
The stadium is the focal point of the newly promoted club’s ‘Sion 2030’ project, with initial plans released in January 2024. FC Sion president Christian Constantin has now officially laid out the plan via a video presentation.
The club has hired Legends to develop the business case. It is noted that the redevelopment of the club’s current home, Stade de Tourbillon, has still not been ruled out.
The most notable aspect of the design is that it would feature stands on three sides, with a giant domed screen taking up the fourth behind one of the goals. One of the stands would consist almost entirely of VIP boxes.
The stadium would be built with a budget of up to CHF 510m (£468.5m/€545.2m/$597.5m), and with a capacity of around 15,000. A retractable roof will cover the stadium to enable all-year-round usage in what is Switzerland’s most mountainous region, Valais.
Multi-purpose venue
Sion’s stadium would be designed to stage up to 60 events per year. This would include concerts and other sporting events, as well as the club’s football matches. Constantin referenced other multi-use stadiums that have hosted ice hockey, American football and boxing.
The venue project would feature a shopping arcade, VIP boxes as well as a gourmet restaurant and a bar with a view of the field. A hotel with 100 rooms is also planned right next to the stadium.
The venue is to be built adjacent to Stade de Tourbillon, the club’s home since 1968. A football academy built to modern standards is also planned for the campus at a cost of CHF 30m.
Constantin indicated that a final profitability report will be available at the end of the year.
Following Real Madrid’s blueprint
“The entire stadium is designed to be able to organise a multitude of things other than football,” Constantin said. “Real Madrid says it has invested a fortune to organise between 25 and 29 events per year. In the USA, they built a stadium for 120,000 people which only hosts 8 matches per year, but which organises 220 events. The stadiums of tomorrow must move in this direction.
“The stadium must be part of the millennium. For this, we must take the geographical location and future prospects.”
Referencing the location, he added: “We have a change in climate, which causes snow to rise to a higher altitude. Valais is lucky to be able to benefit from 80% of the mountains over 4000 meters in Europe. The winter season will become even more valuable, will become a luxury. Summer will be a great season, but not at the same level. When winter is here, we will have to be able to do something other than just football.
“The entire stadium is designed to be able to organise a multitude of things.”
How the project will be funded
According to budgetary availability outlined in January, the Canton of Valais is ready to study a financial contribution in the form of a grant up to a maximum of 30% of eligible costs, with the stadium side of the project expected to come in at CHF150m.
For its part, the City of Sion would come into play for the development and presentation of a private stadium project, and would make land available on the Tourbillon site. It has pledged to continue the maintenance of the current stadium until the completion of a new project.
Olympique des Alpes SA, FC Sion’s ownership group, would contribute to the tune of 30% of project costs (academy and stadium), with a ceiling set at CHF50m.
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