Spanish clubs are investing heavily in sports cities to build future

LaLiga teams are putting millions of euros into new training centres and facilities.

Investing in facilities is as important for a football club as spending in the transfer market. Top-class training grounds can make workouts more efficient and enjoyable, create a positive environment around a club and even attract new players.

Further, as clubs expand their academies, establish new playing teams and strengthen ties to their local community, it’s becoming increasingly important to create central locations where all these activities can take place.

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For all these reasons Spanish clubs are investing in sports cities, especially RC Celta, Real Valladolid and Levante.

In Vigo, a brand-new sports city is being created in the Mos district with a stated objective of nurturing its academy while going beyond football. As a central location for the first team and academy team, the new site will house nine pitches, gym and spa areas, residences for young players and a mini-stadium for 4,000 spectators, along with a range of leisure and catering facilities.

“This is a vital and strategic project for the future of the club. It is essential to have new facilities that are designed around our academy to build on the potential it has shown in recent years. Our growth model is based on our academy, helping us to expand internationally but with our own unique identity,” said Carlos Cao, Business Area Director at RC Celta.

Cao said, "Stadiums are no longer a piece of concrete only 20-25 times a year. The evolution of the football industry forces us to change this model and update to the modern-day. In our facilities, our followers will be able to meet all their needs for leisure, fun and commerce. It will be a benchmark in Spanish and European football both for its unique construction and its ability to integrate into total harmony with surrounding nature."

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The Real Valladolid project will see the club expand its facilities into two separate sites across the city. The existing sports city next to the club´s José Zorrilla stadium is set to be modernised and expanded, increasing the number of pitches from three to ten and incorporating new club offices. A brand-new site, built over 30 hectares, will be dedicated exclusively to the club’s male and female academies.

David Espinar, Director of the President’s Office at Valladolid, said, “The main objective is to strengthen the academy and to provide the city, the province and the region with new facilities to play football. We’ll have modern facilities, as well as a public field that can be used by anyone who wants to play football. It is another way to involve the club in society and vice versa.”

Meanwhile, Levante is embarking on a sports city project in the port area adjacent to the Nazaret neighbourhood of Valencia. A zone that is linked with the origins of the club and stands to benefit from such a significant new facility being built. An area of 95,000 square metres has been located at the old Benimar Sports Club and the project has been designed to optimise the space to have as many football pitches as possible.

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Seven full-size pitches are due to be built, plus a mini-stadium with a capacity of 2,500. Using the site, the club intends to further develop its academy, increase on-site education and achieve better environmental practices such as energy and water conservation.

“It will be a clear example of how a sports facility is the engine of transformation of an area in a city. The new sports city shows the strategy of the club to establish itself in the elite level of football over the next few years. The academy will be one of the great beneficiaries and the leap in quality that it will give will be enormous,” said Communications Director Alberto Gil.

While the projects of Celta, Valladolid and Levante are some of the most ambitious currently in progress, other LaLiga clubs are currently investing in infrastructure as well. Top-flight sides like Eibar and Real Betis are building new sports cities, Athletic Club is making improvements to its existing facilities, while Atlético Madrid is adding another site to its academy.

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LaLiga SmartBank clubs are also realising the importance of constructing facilities for their teams, with Andalusian club Málaga CF and Canary Island sides Las Palmas and Tenerife all currently working on sports cities as well.

Overall, millions of euros are being invested across Spain to secure a stable future for its clubs. The growth of LaLiga has boosted club revenues and helped teams move to a position where they can afford to invest.