Mohamed El Assy: 'We're looking forward to sharing the Sports Complex project with everyone'

Infrastructure was one of the topics that was discussed to a greater extent during the lengthy press conference held by UD Almería Managing Director Mohamed El Assy. The UD Almería Sports Complex topic, as it could not be otherwise, took the main centre of attention. 'We're waiting for confirmation from the Almería City Council to be able to publish the video and the master-plan so that it can be made public. I can't wait any longer because it's a dream coming true and we're eager to share it with everyone. I'm sure the fans will like it and the province of Almería will be really proud. I'd like to thank our lawyer and architect Martin Van Gelden for their work,' explained Mr El Assy. 

 

'For me, this is the most exciting step since we started 6 years ago. The objective of building a UD Almería Sports Complex is the most difficult and the one that's a laborious undertaking. I'd like to thank the Almería City Council, both former mayor Ramón Fernando-Pacheco and current mayoress María del Mar Vázquez, for all their help, as well as the Junta de Andalucía regional government for their strong support.

 

Regarding the start of the works, Mr El Assy pointed out: 'It isn't something that depends on us. The lawyers are negotiating with the City Council to see when they can start and if it's in an extraordinary or ordinary way. The first would speed up the process, but paying a higher price, within the legal parameters. The other way takes longer, so we're trying to find the best solution to be able to face the extraordinary option and start as soon as possible, even if it's more expensive.' 

 

When asked about the second phase of the Stadium remodelling, Mohamed El Assy responded: 'For me, it'd be done next summer because apart from the economic cost it brings a benefit through single-game tickets, season tickets and holding events. More than a cost, it'd be an investment. It's a financial and also logistical challenge because a certain number of matches would have to be played away. Therefore, we cannot guarantee a specific date. By contract, we have to finish it before 2027.' 

 

The Club Managing Director was utterly sincere when he stated that 'if I had to choose, my priority is to build the Sports Complex because we don't have our own facilities for either the Academy or the first team and the Club does need that.' He did not hesitate to stress that the two projects will be carried out sooner or later despite the financial amount that they will entail.