October 22nd, 2002

"NIKOS GOUMAS" STADIUM looks like is counting the days to… demolition! Its owners, amateur AEK Athens, announced yesterday their agreement with a company (J&P-AVAX) which will undertake the complete reconstruction of the ground. The works are scheduled to start in the end of November and will cost € 61.6 million. The source of the funds is still however quite unclear, as the club's president only vaguely referred to a "bank loan". According to AEK, the new sports centre will include:

  
- A football stadium with a capacity of 32,000. All seats will be covered. There will be 3,500 m² of
       service areas and 2,000 underground parking spaces.
  
- An indoor basketball arena that will have a capacity of 8,000.
  
- Three more multi-purpose indoor halls: two primarily for volleyball (1,816 and 420 seats) and one for
       basketball (340 seats).
  
- A hostel of 60 beds (for accommodation of teams and athletes), a conventions centre (640 m²), the
       "AEK Museum" (600 m²) and the "AEK Superstore" (240 m²).
  
- "AEK Live Arena": a hall of 800 m² designed for the live projection of match broadcasts on video wall.
  
- "AEK Leisure Centre", which will include a multiplex of 8 cinemas, a bowling centre, a fitness club, a
       swimming centre, theme restaurants, a shopping centre etc.

The aim is for the works to be finished by May 2004. AEK FC will be forced to look for a temporary home until then, with the most probable candidates being
Akratitos and Kesariani stadia at the moment.

Relevant article:
"Nikos Goumas" Stadium will be completely reconstructed (22/8/02)