Sports

Manchester United announce plans to build 100,000-seat stadium

The new 100,000-seater stadium will be the centrepiece of the Old Trafford regeneration. Photo: @ManUtd/X

Manchester United on Tuesday announced plans to build a new 100,000-capacity stadium that co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said would be the “world’s greatest” football ground.

The decision by the Premier League club came after an extensive consultation process around whether to develop their existing historic Old Trafford stadium or build a new one close by, in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force.

United have now confirmed their “intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area”.

The club hopes the new ground can be finished in five years.

The new 100,000-seater stadium will be the centrepiece of the Old Trafford regeneration. Photo: @ManUtd/X
Scaled models and conceptual images for how the new Old Trafford and surrounding area could look like were revealed on Tuesday at the London headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, appointed in September to design the stadium district.

“Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford,” Ratcliffe said.

“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport.”

Ratcliffe said by building next to the existing site the club would be able to “preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home”.

The new 100,000-seater stadium will be the centrepiece of the Old Trafford regeneration. Photo: @ManUtd/X
The club said the stadium and a wider regeneration project had the potential to deliver an additional £7.3 billion ($9.4 billion) per year to the UK economy, including the possible creation of 92,000 new jobs.

The move to a new ground has been backed by former United boss Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles during his reign of more than 26 years.

“Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in,” Ferguson said.

“Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made.”

Sebastian Coe, who chaired the task force, said Tuesday “marks an important step forward in what I firmly believe can be the biggest and most exciting urban regeneration project in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics.”

United hope the stadium can be built in five years, with sections to be constructed off site and transported along the Manchester Ship Canal.

The start date remains uncertain.

Regarding the financing of the project, chief executive Omar Berrada added: “It’s a very attractive investment opportunity so we’re quite confident we’ll find a way to finance the stadium.”

(ChannelsTV/AFP)

Sports

Champions league: Arsenal knock out Real Madrid to face PSG in semi-final

Arsenal have eliminated Real Madrid from the UEFA Champions League, after they won 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

The Gunners travelled to Spain with a healthy 3-0 lead from the first leg.

And they had the chance to extend that advantage after they were awarded a first-half penalty.

But Bukayo Saka saw his tame effort saved by Thibaut Courtois, as both sides went into the break without scoring.

However, Saka burst through to dink the ball over Courtois in the second half, as Arsenal virtually took the tie beyond Real Madrid.

And although Vinicius Junior pulled one back after a defensive mixup between David Raya and William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli ran through to seal another big win.

Mikel Arteta’s men will now take on Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final.

Arsenal beat PSG 2-0 earlier in the league phase

News

NFF denies owing late Christian Chukwu

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has debunked reports on social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to former Nigeria captain and coach, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, who died on Saturday.

Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF was owing the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu. During the first term of the Board headed by Mr. Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.

“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”

Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.

“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”

The Nigerian football icon, nicknamed ‘Chairman’ for his imposing presence and the authority he exuded just in defence, died at 74, throwing family, friends, and the entire nation into mourning.

Sports

NFF mourns ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu’s death

The Nigeria Football Federation has expressed deep sorrow after it was confirmed that Christian Chukwuemeka Chukwu, who captained Nigeria’s 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad and later coached the team, had died in his native city of Enugu on Saturday.

General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “We have lost a good and great man. Chukwu was the definition of a strong, dedicated and disciplined leader on and off the field. He was not nicknamed ‘Chairman’ for nothing. He embodied strength, vision and consistency.

“We pray that the Almighty will grant his soul eternal rest, and also grant the family and friends he has left behind, and Nigeria football’s fraternity the fortitude to bear this big loss.”

Chukwu was in the Nigeria senior team that won bronze medals at the 1976 and 1978 AFCON finals in Ethiopia and Ghana respectively, before leading the squad to glory on home soil in 1980. He was named Player of the Tournament.

Chukwu coached his darling club, Enugu Rangers (he played for only one club in his career) and then coached the senior national team of Kenya, nicknamed the Harambee Stars. He was named Head Coach of the Super Eagles in 2002 and led the team to finish third at the 2004 AFCON finals in Tunisia.

His death comes exactly 20 days after the 45th anniversary of the 1980 AFCON triumph. Before him, other members of the squad that had passed on, were goalkeepers Best Ogedegbe and Moses Effiong, defenders Okechukwu Isima and Tunde Bamidele, midfielders Aloysius Atugbu and Mudashiru Lawal, and forward Martins Eyo.