Liverpool's plans to redevelop its first-team training facilities "took another step" as the club "submitted a formal planning application for the site at Kirkby." The £50M ($64.7M) scheme will see Liverpool leave its current training base at Melwood and "merge" first-team and academy operations "together on one site." A public consultation held in March revealed plans for an "extensive redevelopment" of the existing academy site. They will include a "full-size indoor pitch, a new academy building and an upgrade to the main pitch with improved floodlighting" and a 499-seat stand (SKY SPORTS, 5/10).
Serie A side Atalanta "won the tender for the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia." The club now owns all of the rights to its stadium. Only two bids were received in the "sealed envelope process," one from Atalanta and the other from Serie D side AlbinoLeffe. Atalanta President Antonio Percassi put in an offer of 10% more than the starting price, a total of €8.6M ($9.3M). The offer from AlbinoLeffe was "not considered appropriate" (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 5/10).
A proposal to give up to HK$60M ($7.7M) "cashback" to rejected tenders for the Kai Tak Sports Park has been criticized by Hong Kong lawmakers, with one likening the HK$32B ($4.1B) project to a "fat piece of meat" surrounded by "wolves and hyenas." The government will pay for construction, but a tender winner from the private sector will be responsible to design, build and operate it under a 25-year contract. Unsuccessful bidders will receive 50% of the cost of their bid back (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 5/10).
