Greuther Fürth Scraps Plans For New Stadium, Extends Lease Until 2040

Bundesliga club Greuther Fürth "has scrapped its plans for a new stadium, but already developed blueprints for the expansion of the Trolli Arena," according to the SID. Plans for the expansion of the area and the stadium itself, which has, thanks to an additional stand, a capacity of 18,000, "already exist." Club President Helmut Hack said, "This isn't a step backward, it is another step forward." Ahead of the club's announcement on Thursday, Hack described building a new stadium as the "only alternative." With the support of an investor, Greuther Fürth "had planned to build a new €35M ($45M), 20,000-seat arena at a new site." However, the club has now "agreed to extend its lease with the owner of its current stadium until '40." The construction for the expansion of the Trolli Arena "is scheduled to start in the summer of '13" (SID, 11/22).