New national football stadium OK with Flanders
The government of Flanders will not attempt to block progress on a new national football stadium, said minister-president Kris Peeters last week, responding to newspaper reports that said he was holding up an as-yet-unannounced agreement involving Belgian football union KBVB, Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort and federal prime minister Elio Di Rupo.
Absence of stadium track creates division
“All parties want the solution involving an athletics track, movable tribunes and no roof to be examined for its economic viability,” Peeters said. “All governments now need to discuss this proposal, and there was no question of signing any agreement at this stage.” Anderlecht football club, which might be interested in moving into the new stadium, also wants to carry out a feasibility study, Peeters said.
Brussels minister Guy Vanhengel said the existing Koning Boudewijn stadium would not be demolished until a solution had been reached for the Memorial Van Damme, the country’s most important athletics event, which took place in Brussels last week. Proponents of the new stadium have no plans to include a track for cost reasons, which has created division over the project.
Wilfried Meert, organiser of the Van Damme, said he was in favour of allowing the Koning Boudewijn stadium to remain for athletics events and other sports, while the new stadium is devoted entirely to football.
