- Title: ALBANIA: Albania soon to build its best ever stadium.
- Date: 27th January 2014
- Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (JANUARY 26, 2014) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ALBANIAN NATIONAL STADIUM "QEMAL STAFA" MURAL SHOWING TWO FOOTBALLERS PLAYING ALBANIAN FLAG/ WRITING ON STADIUM WALL READING :"NATIONAL STADIUM "QEMAL STAFA"" TIRANA, ALBANIA (JANUARY 24, 2014) (REUTERS) STADIUM PITCH TIRANA, ALBANIA (JANUARY 23, 2014) (REUTERS) ALBANIA'S NEW STADIUM PROJECT LEADER PROJECT, ARDIAN CANI ENTERS HIS OFFICE/ SITS BY THE COMPUTER CANI WORKING IN HIS COMPUTER DESIGN OF NEW STADIUM SHOWING IN HIS COMPUTER SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALBANIA'S NEW STADIUM PROJECT LEADER, ARDIAN CANI, SAYING: "If you take this book and do a comparison with our national stadiums, I could say that we only satisfy only 60 percent of a third of this manual." DETAIL OF THE MANUAL (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALBANIA'S NEW STADIUM PROJECT LEADER, ARDIAN CANI, SAYING: "And now we are on the process of evaluating these proposals and very soon by the end of February we are going to finalize who is going to be our preferred bidder for us." TIRANA, ALBANIA (JANUARY 24, 2014) (REUTERS) MAN SITTING IN THE STADIUM STADIUM PITCH BANNER READING "ALBANIAN SOCCER FEDERATION 1930" FORMER ALBANIAN NATIONAL TEAM TRAINER, ASTRIT HAFIZI TRAINING THE CHILDREN AT A PRIVATE SPORTS CENTRE HAFIZI WATCHING A GAME (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) FORMER ALBANIAN NATIONAL TEAM TRAINER, ASTRIT HAFIZI, SAYING: "We are the only country that doesn't have a good stadium. We've had a lot of problems in our played games against our visiting opponents. I think this is very positive, there is no better joy for footballers and sports fans to come at the stadium and watch games in human conditions," YOUNG FOOTBALLER SCORES/ HAFIZI KICKS THE BALL
- Embargoed: 11th February 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Albania
- Country: Albania
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7VB3FXL79EAGV9KXUVFM93NJP
- Story Text: FIFA and UEFA have allowed the Balkan country's soccer authorities to keep playing international matches in their old stadium on condition they showed real plans to build a new one.
Holding a book of FIFA rules for soccer stadiums, Ardian Cani, the project leader of Albania's new stadium, said: "If you take this book and do a comparison with our national stadiums, I could say that we only satisfy only 60 percent of a third of this manual."
Efforts over four years to build a stadium might end in February when Albania picks either France's Bouygues Batiment International or Italy's Serenissima Costruzioni to design, finance, build, operate and transfer it.
"And now we are on the process of evaluating these proposals and very soon by the end of February we are going to finalize who is going to be our preferred bidder for us," Cani told Reuters.
Albania's current main stadium in the capital Tirana dates back to 1938 when Italian experts started construction. It was finished after World War Two.
Although centrally located off of the main boulevard, the aged facilities have prompted complaints from foreign teams, including about a lack of hot water in showers.
"We are the only country that doesn't have a good stadium. We've had a lot of problems in our played games against our visiting opponents. I think this is very positive, there is no better joy for footballers and sports fans to come at the stadium and watch games in human conditions," said former Albanian national team coach Astrit Hafizi.
The companies were asked to deliver a soccer-only stadium of 22,000 seats. Its average construction cost without value added tax ranges from 45 to 48 million euros.
The local soccer federation and UEFA will contribute 10 million euros and the government will also add an additional 10 million euros, but what share of the project this will earn them has yet to be determined, Cani said.
A grander blueprint by a Spanish company for a stadium of 33,000 seats was a source of pride on the internet for Albanians until it was scrapped when the federation discovered it would cost at least 80 million euros.
A feasibility study by KPMG "surprised" Cani's team: Albania needed a stadium of 16,000 seats, based on an attendance of 7,500 fans at international matches from 2001 to 2011. The current stadium has seating capacity of 15,850.
Soccer is the most popular sport in Albania and fans of the national team come also from the mainly ethnic Albania young state of Kosovo, some of whose youngsters play for Albania. However, fans fill every seat when star teams visit.
Upon hearing back, it would be "difficult but not impossible" financially, Cani said Albania went for a smaller version of the Spanish design but bigger than the current one.
Albania wanted to started demolishing the old structure in October and hopefully start building it in March next year. The stadium would take 24 to 26 months to build.
Until the new stadium is ready in May 2017, Albania's squad and clubs will play their international matches at the nearby town of Elbasan when its stadium is fully revamped. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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