FC Barcelona planning to increase Nou Camp capacity

From Bloomberg: ‘Barcelona Plans World's Biggest Soccer Stadium on Surging Sales’ | “Barcelona, the European champion, plans to turn the Nou Camp into soccer's biggest stadium after projecting a surge in sales of more than 50 percent by 2010.

“It's our dream to make a new Nou Camp,” Marca Ingla, the club's vice president, said in an interview in London.

Adding 17,000 seats to the 50-year-old ground would lift capacity to 115,000, about 400 more than the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the world's biggest soccer arena. Costs and a timescale will be decided after discussions with the club's neighbors, Ingla said.

Sales at Barcelona, which won the last two Spanish league titles, will rise 16 percent to 300 million euros ($377 million) for the year through June 30 and to 400 million euros by fiscal 2010, Ingla said.

On-field success, led by world player of the year Ronaldinho, has lifted club membership to a record 150,000, leading to “pent- up demand'” to watch the team, which also features 19-year-old Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi, Ingla said.

Ticket prices won't rise to finance the stadium upgrade. The club will instead boost income from broadcasters and sponsors, he said.

Barcelona will more than double its revenue from television rights to 150 million euros a year from 2008 under an accord with Grupo Mediapro.

It also wants more than 20 million euros a year from its uniform supplier by then, Ingla said. The club is in talks to extend its accord with Nike Inc., the world's largest maker of sports apparel, and has received proposals from other unidentified sportswear companies, he said. Puma AG is among them, according to El Mundo Deportivo newspaper.

Barcelona will be among the biggest three clubs if it meets its forecasts, Ingla said. It ranked sixth by sales last season, according to Deloitte & Touche LLP. Real Madrid was No. 1, with revenue of 276 million euros, followed by Manchester United.”

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