The announcement of a new stadium always leaves a bag of mixed feelings between fans. Yes, it is hard to forget the memories lived in an old venue, but on the other hand, it is not easy to control the excitement that the shining modernity could bring.
And that is what thousands of Tigres fans are probably experiencing right now after the team showcased the project that will replace El Volcán.
New Tigres Stadium
The fancy, brand new house of Tigres should be ready by 2025, and it will cost $320 million.
According to those close to the project, the money required for the construction will come from local and international investors. Although it wasn't mentioned, this could leave the door open for a brand-named venue.
Among the things Tigres wants to brag about, the new stadium will have 65,000 seats — an increase of 50 percent from El Volcán's current capacity — and will be a sustainable venue, both financially and environmentally speaking.
More? The building will have stores, restaurants, a hotel with a view to the ground and several classrooms for the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, the institution where the club was born. So you can also learn stuff like in college.
The last bit responds to the plan to transform the stadium into a hub for innovation, research and business incubators.
"It sounds ironic, but this stadium is everything but a stadium," said Samuel García, Nuevo León's governor. "It's incredible that soon it will have classrooms with technology and artificial intelligence majors. This stadium will be a Mexican Silicon Valley."
Of course, Tigres want to host other massive events in the stadium, like NFL games and concerts. And that's why the field will be retractable.
Who will manage the development of this beauty? The project is in the hands of Populous, a company with extensive experience in soccer. In England, for example, they built the new Wembley Stadium and the new houses of Tottenham and Arsenal. They also left a footprint in México with Chivas and Monterrey. Finally, Populous is also in charge of The Cathedral, the future temple of AC Milan and Inter.
Populous has been chosen today by @acmilan and @Inter as the architect for the new #Milano Stadium.
Our design, known as "The Cathedral", will create a world-class, sustainable home for the clubs and form the beating heart of a new civic district.https://t.co/lKgJS4SsEb pic.twitter.com/TNWQg1z0dQ
— Populous (@Populous) December 21, 2021
"I have no doubts that people will come from every part of the world to see my Tigres, to see first-world shows, to see games and other sports events," added García, who, it's worth mentioning, is a Tigres fan. "It will be an icon, the new cathedral of New León."