Professional football is alive and well in Valais, but there are still questions: new stadium or tourbillon renovation?

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It is always symbolic when the Valais State Councilor (and Minister of Sports) Frédéric Favre, the mayor of Sion Philippe Varone, Martin Zurwerra (president of the Valais Football Association) and Christian Constantin, president and owner of FC Sion, join forces and create a joint signing statement of intent. It stipulates that professional football in Valais must continue to exist and that young talent must benefit from it.

“One in four young people who participate in sports in Valais play football,” Favre said, emphasizing that the sport is also the main attraction for spectators. The declaration, signed at a media conference at the venerable Stade de Tourbillon, means football in Valais will also be brought into the modern era.

New stadium or renovation?

But what about the stadium? The politicians said that the 510 million euro CC project had been taken into account at a political level. “It’s just an offer that has been received. “But this will be handled like any other private initiative,” Varone said. If a private individual is willing to invest such amounts as Constantin, such a project should be studied in depth. “But there is no Lex CC.”

In addition, they first look at which option they want to choose: new stadium? Or renovation of the tourbillon? “At the moment I am neither for nor against a new stadium,” said Favre. CC: “If you’re better off renovating the tourbillon, which would cost about thirty million, than building a new stadium – go ahead! I am also willing to have this discussion. But I’m already one step further. Many of the current new stadiums are already outdated. A stadium of the future must have artificial intelligence built-in and be fully multifunctional.”

A project of this dimension must come before the Grand Council, Favre made clear. “We will study the necessary elements until the end of 2024 to then decide whether such an investment is justified and which path we want to choose. In 2025, the budget of the option we have chosen will come before the Grand Council.” So that still takes time.

CC wants to move up

And until then? “I will continue to build teams that can play at the highest level,” CC said. “So at the moment someone who can move on.” It will continue in the tourbillon, that’s clear. “We will have to have discussions over the next three months about what exactly the contract with the city should look like,” says CC. In any case, you have to hurry here, because there should be clarity about the permit application at the beginning of April.

Source : Blick