IFK Göteborg Chairman Slams €160m Gamla Ullevi Plan, Wants New Heden Arena
Magnus Nilsson calls billion-kronor renovation 'unwise' and proposes demolishing Ullevi to fund new stadium bigger than 3Arena for football and concerts.
SFN Editor ·
IFK Göteborg chairman Magnus Nilsson has strongly criticized plans to renovate Gamla Ullevi, calling the proposed 1.6-1.8 billion kronor project a waste of money and instead advocating for a completely new arena.
"It seems unwise to spend so much money on an already old and poorly planned arena," Nilsson told Sportbladet.
The ambitious renovation plans would include foundation reinforcement to solve vibration problems and add 5,000 new seats to the current stadium. However, Nilsson believes the substantial investment would be better used elsewhere.
While IFK Göteborg has previously considered Kviberg as a potential future stadium location, Nilsson personally favors a different approach. He proposes building a new large arena at Heden, funded by demolishing the current Ullevi stadium and selling the land.
The new facility would be slightly larger than 3Arena and designed to host both football matches and concerts, providing greater versatility than the current aging venue.
Former Sweden international and current IFK Göteborg assistant coach Joachim Björklund supports the call for better facilities. "Gothenburg as a city and IFK Göteborg deserve a better arena than what exists today," he said, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a central location.
No final decision has been made regarding Gamla Ullevi's future, leaving one of Sweden's most historic football venues in limbo.