BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Champions League-bound Aston Villa will close one end of its stadium next season for construction to raise capacity above 50,000 before hosting European Championship games in 2028.
The club in Birmingham announced a faster timetable Tuesday to long-planned renovations for the North Stand that will cut stadium capacity to about 37,000 throughout next season.
Villa is well set in fourth place in the Premier League with five rounds left to qualify for the next Champions League, guaranteeing four home games in the main phase.
At Euro 2028 co-hosted across Britain and Ireland, Villa Park will stage four games including one in the round of 16. It hosted a quarterfinals game among four at the 1996 edition in England.
“By completing the works within a single season, the club will limit disruption to one campaign rather than extending it across two seasons,” Aston Villa said in a statement.
Villa Park has had crowds of 43,000 in the Premier League this season and 41,662 last week when coach Unai Emery’s team eliminated Bologna in the Europa League quarterfinals.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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