Barça’s new basketball arena to be built by 2020

Barcelona (FCB).- FC Barcelona will have a new Palau Blaugrana before 2020. The directors Joan Bladé and Jordi Moix held a press conference to talk about the details of the construction of the upcoming arena. Bladé, the director responsible for Barça Regal, said that “the strategic plan presented by the Board of Directors at the General Assembly aims to improve the Club’s equity by 2020 or before that.”

The director responsible for Barça basketball also said that the construction of the new Palau “is tied to the construction of a new stadium or the remodel of the Camp Nou.” He was clear that “we’re talking about building a new Palau Blaugrana not remodelling the current arena.”

An advanced process

However, due to the Club’s economic situation, the directors were not able to confirm when construction on the new Palau will being nor where it will be built. Moix, director for economic issues, explained that the FC Barcelona’s Board “has actively worked to make the new Palau Blaugrana a reality as soon as possible.” The director noted that the Board has discreetly conferred with contacts responsible for similar venues and that studies have been conducted on the design, financing and viability of a new arena. The director estimates that the new Palau will cost approximately 100 million euros.

In addition, Moix talked about the Board’s other areas of management, like the recuperation of the plot of land at Sant Joan Despí for the construction of additional arenas for the Catalan club’s other professional teams, improving the press room and the dressing rooms at the current Palau. “We’re very clear that we need to build a new Palau. We’re conducting studies that will allow us to begin construction as soon as possible once a final location is agreed upon,” said Moix. “We will have a new Palau, the decision has been made. It will be one of the best arenas in Europe,” he added.

Euroleague’s A License

Members of the Board of Directors hope that the decision to build a new Palau by 2020 will convince the Euroleague to allow the Club to maintain its A License, which guarantees Barça Regal’s participation in the European tournament regardless of how well the team does in the domestic competition. “We have talked with the Euroleague in order to come to the best possible solution. We’re doing our homework, we believe these procedures are being done correctly,” said Bladé. He added: “Our intention is to continue playing at the Palau. We’ve invested funds to improve the arena and we’ll stay there until a new one is built.”