Bulldozers start work at Betis’ stadium

Image: Real Betis

Construction work on Spanish LaLiga club Real Betis’ new Benito Villamarín Stadium in Seville is cracking on with the start of demolition of the Preferencia Stand.

Real Betis said the oldest of all the stands in the current ground will give way to a modern, comfortable stand that will transform the experience for Betis fans.

This is the first step of a major project that includes the complete reconstruction of this stand, featuring new and improved spaces, including a new museum, a new official store, an auditorium, and dining areas.

The other stands will not be demolished, but they will undergo significant improvements to enhance fan comfort, including the installation of a roof and a new façade.

Real Betis Balompié, known as Real Betis, or just Betis, is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. Founded in 1907 it plays in LaLiga, the top flight of Spanish football. The club plays home games at the 60,721-seat Benito Villamarín Stadium.

Image: Real Betis

Real Betis said demolition work is being carried out by Erri Berri, a company which specializes in technical demolitions and waste management, and which also handled the demolition of the old Gol Sur stand in 2016.

The take-down work has kicked off after a month of preparations dismantling structures and installations.

The first interventions have been made on the stairway leading to the upper stand, known as Voladizo, and on the lowest tier of the Preferencia stand.

Given the urban loation of the stadium and with the aim of minimizing environmental impact in the area, much of the demolition will be carried out from the inside, gradually progressing to other areas of Preferencia.

The debris will be sorted and stored on the plot adjacent to the stand in order to complete the process as quickly as possible.

This marks the start of the execution phase of the project, which will continue in the final quarter of the year with the selection of the company that will be responsible for building the new Benito Villamarín Stadium.

General director Federico Martínez Feria said, “We are keeping to the plan we began three years ago with the design of the new Benito Villamarín, which forms part of our 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.

“We remain determined to complete this redevelopment. We are already looking ahead to the future. We’re going to create a fantastic stadium. We say farewell here, and in a few years, we will meet again in the new Villamarín.”
 

Farewell to a historic stand

With the start of the demolition, Real Betis bids farewell to its historic Preferencia stand, which represented a major leap forward in the 1970s and 1980s.

The board of directors, chaired by Pepe Núñez, launched an ambitious renovation plan to turn the Stadium into a symbol of stability and growth.

The centerpiece of that project was the new Preferencia Voladizo, whose model was presented in 1974. The project included an extension of 8,000 seats, new internal facilities, dressing rooms, and a VIP box.

The fans responded with unconditional support, contributing through fundraising campaigns such as the sale of commemorative keychains and charity matches.

On December 5, 1976, the Preferencia Voladizo was opened to fans, paving the way for further renovations for the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

The stadium’s capacity increased to almost 47,500 spectators, consolidating it as one of the great venues for Spanish football.

Since then, the Benito Villamarín Stadium, built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition and home to Real Betis since 1939, has undergone significant changes.

In the late 1990s, under President Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, a new redevelopment project began with the construction of the Gol Norte and Fondo stands, increasing the stadium’s capacity to 52,500.

That project was never completed, but it profoundly transformed the stadium’s image, giving it a more homogeneous and functional character.

In 2016, under the leadership of President Ángel Haro and Vice President José Miguel López Catalán, the Benito Villamarin Stadium received new momentum with the complete reconstruction of the Gol Sur stand, included in the Strategic Plan they presented in 2015.

This intervention unified the aesthetic of the four stands, all with three tiers, and increased capacity to 60,721, making it one of the largest stadiums in LaLiga.

The redevelopment also significantly contributed to the club’s growth, with Betis now boasting 57,000 season-ticket holders.

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