Atletico Madrid’s growing ambition for Sports City infrastructure

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Image credit: Athletico Universe X page

Atletico Madrid has ambitious growth plans involving numerous infrastructure and technology projects designed to establish them as one of football’s elite, but in a unique way that sets them apart from others.

An innovative initiative with a city-centric objective, the new Ciudad del Deporte (Sports City) aims to establish Madrid as a global hub for sports and sustainability. Currently under construction, this project will benefit the club and offer new facilities and green spaces that is accessible to everyone in Madrid.

Sports City will include two new municipal sports facilities for the city’s residents. Besides the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano, a mini stadium with a capacity of 6,000 spectators will be constructed, and an athletics stadium will revive the Olympic spirit in a district that missed out on hosting the major sporting event in 2012.

The project will also feature an artificial wave beach designed for surfing and various sports activities within the leisure area, enhancing the recreational offerings for visitors and residents alike. Furthermore, a new hotel will be constructed just minutes away from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport and the IFEMA Trade Fair Ground, offering convenient accommodation for travellers and event attendees.

This hotel will cater to both business and leisure visitors, providing modern amenities and easy access to key locations in Madrid. The comprehensive development aims to transform the area into a vibrant hub of sports, leisure, and hospitality, significantly boosting the city’s appeal as a global destination.

Sustainability is a central focus of the project, with facilities meticulously designed to minimise energy consumption and reduce the environmental footprint. The club’s sustainability sponsor, Civitas, is playing a leading role in this effort, ensuring that innovative and eco-friendly technologies are integrated into the development.

This includes the use of renewable energy sources, advanced energy-efficient systems, and sustainable building materials. By prioritising sustainability, the project aims to set a new standard for environmentally conscious sports and leisure complexes, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change. Civitas’ involvement underscores the commitment to creating a green and sustainable environment that benefits both the community and the planet. This approach not only enhances the project’s long-term viability but also positions it as a model for future developments in the realm of sports infrastructure.

The new Sports City will span over one million square meters, incorporating 33% green areas that will be integrated into the Metropolitano Forest, this green belt will encircle the city of Madrid.

Significantly for the club, the area will house its first team training ground, relocating them from their current base in Majadahonda, which is 20km away. The new facility will include six training pitches, a gymnasium, and a medical centre.

To compete with Real Madrid in the same city and the major clubs across Europe, they needed to move to a new, larger stadium. This move was essential for growth on the pitch, increasing their fan base, and enhancing the club’s image.

Director of Operations, Fernando Fariza spoke to FC Business about the project.

“The 2017 move was risky from a social and economic point of view as we had to invest a lot of money. However, we Invested €330m in the stadium, which included not only the construction but also buying the land and constructing access to the motorway. Now, 100% of that stadium investment has been amortised in the first five seasons,” he said.

“How? Half of the investment was recovered through the sale of the old stadium and the land it was on. The other half, with the additional revenues the stadium generates, we have paid off the costs.

“From a social point of view, the numbers here are now incredible. We’re always sold out. We have the highest number of season ticket holders in our history-60,000, We have 5,000 VIP season ticket holders. With that situation, we are now ready to make the next step.

“Around the stadium, there is a lot of land that was part of the Madrid Olympic Games bid that we didn’t win. When we moved into the stadium, we started talking to the Principality. It was a crazy idea, but finally we signed an agreement to build a sports and entertainment centre around the stadium. It’s not just a Sports City for Atletico Madrid; it’s more than football and will be something open to everyone in Madrid.

“We always need to compete with different things. We like to be different. We always try to be near our fans and produce a different atmosphere, to create joy and a great experience. The philosophy of the Sports City is also done in that way.”

The total investment for the facilities is expected to reach an additional $336 million. The majority of this will be financed by the club and funds from the CVC Boost LaLiga fund. For the remaining amount, the club is negotiating agreements with third-party operators and specialised companies to manage some of the businesses on the site, including a hotel, a college, and the inland surf area.

“This is the final project of the new Atletico Madrid,” Fariza states. “If you go back over 20 years ago, we were playing in the second division, and it was a very difficult time from an economic point of view. It took ten years to recover. In 2010, we played in the Europa League final in Hamburg against Fulham, and we won. That was our first title in many years, and it closed out a very difficult period for us.

“The second phase has been the [Diego] Simone era, during which we have moved to the new stadium, we now play in the UEFA Champions League every season and we have won trophies as well as grown our fanbase.

“Now, this is the third phase of our growth. This is the new Atletico Madrid but keeping our values and identity. That is our biggest challenge. When you grow a lot with many fans, it’s hard to stay close to them.”

In addition to the Sports City development, Atletico is continuing to invest in the stadium. This year has seen the capacity increase by another 2,000 from 68,000 to over 70,000, while they have transformed some of the hospitality areas to better serve a wider variety of fan groups. The club is keen to make the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano a multi-purpose venue.

Despite many critics in the A-League fan bases and football supporters alike seemed confused as to how Western United playing in Tarneit can be beneficial, it is important to remember good things do take time such as the case of Athletico Madrid. A long term project that Western United has envisioned for its members and the local area will require investments as well as the dedication from individuals to attract supporters from other teams to visit, and most importantly the state government to improve the area as a whole.

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Sydney FC bolsters business strategy with third-year ABCC partnership

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Image Credit: Sydney FC

Sydney FC is extending its partnership with the Australian British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) for a third year, strengthening the connection between the club’s corporate network and the wider business community.

The partnership will give ABCC members access to Sydney FC’s Business Club, it’s new The Collective networking platform and a range of events throughout the 2026/27 season.

ABCC members had already been attending Sydney FC matches and networking through hospitality, and last season the organisations built on that connection by collaborating on a pre‑World Cup business event featuring former players and football industry figures.

ABCC Chief Commercial Officer Paul Wright said the partnership had provided members with opportunities to engage with the club and its business community.

“We are delighted to continue the strong partnership between the Australian British Chamber of Commerce and Sydney FC for the third consecutive year,” Wright said.

Sydney FC Commercial and Marketing General Manager Matt Pound said the relationship was creating opportunities beyond traditional matchday hospitality.

“There’s a large appetite for collaboration between the Sydney FC business club and those within the ABCC, with numerous partnership opportunities being developed through this collaboration,” Pound said.

The continued partnership will also see Sydney FC benefit from member introductions through the ABCC, while the club will contribute speakers to selected Chamber events and feature in its quarterly magazine.

For Sydney FC, the partnership provides another established business network through which to develop its broader commercial strategy, following the recent launch of The Collective.

The club is increasingly positioning its corporate relationships around networking and business development, using football and its existing commercial community as a platform for connections beyond sponsorship and matchday hospitality.

Football must set financial rules of engagement following FIFA Forward Enterprise crisis

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Never before has football had such deep access to capital, or faced such complex questions about what that means for the future of the sport.

Private equity firms are investing in clubs, institutional investors are moving into stadiums and sports infrastructure, and clubs are looking beyond broadcasting and matchday revenue towards property, hospitality, entertainment and technology.

The question is no longer whether football needs investments. It’s what happens when investment starts influencing the way the game is run.

The issue came sharply into focus this year when FIFA proposed creating FIFA Forward Enterprise, a new FIFA-owned subsidiary that would bring together its commercial and event operations. The concept would effectively place the World Cup, the crown jewel of global football and FIFA’s blue chip stock, inside an investable structure. 

The proposal envisaged raising up to $6 billion by selling minority, non-controlling stakes in the subsidiary to external investors, based on an initial valuation of $29 billion. FIFA said the additional capital would help increase development funding for its 211 member associations.

The proposal triggered a governance crisis, while major questions about Gianni Infantino’s tenure as FIFA President continue.

UEFA, CONCACAF and (to a lesser-extent) the AFC were among the confederations to object, variously stating they had learned about the proposal through media reports rather than through FIFA’s own consultation process.

Amid a firestorm of criticism, the proposal was ultimately abandoned.

Now, Gianni Infantino has proposed an independent review of the organisation’s governance framework for major strategic initiatives, including how responsibility is divided between the president, Bureau, Council and Congress.

That makes this bigger than one investment proposal.

It’s a debate about who should control football’s commercial future.

Capital isn’t the enemy

There is an obvious argument in favour of private investment.

Football is an expensive business.

At club level, the relationship between capital and football is becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex.

RC Lens recently brought infrastructure investor Entrepreneur Equity Partners into its ownership structure, with the club saying the investment will fund development around the Stade Bollaert-Delelis and help create new revenue opportunities beyond matchdays.

Alas, there is a cost that comes with the capital. 

Investors ultimately expect a financial return. This won’t always conflict with supporters’ interests, but it can create different priorities.

Whereas a supporter might value affordability, identity and competitive success, an investor might instead look at property development, hospitality, commercial growth and the long-term value of an asset.

Neither perspective is inherently wrong.

But problems begin when financial objectives and football objectives stop overlapping and start pointing in different directions.

The ownership question

Chelsea provides a useful example of how quickly football ownership can change.

Clearlake Capital has now taken full control of the London club after acquiring the stakes previously held by Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, in a transaction that values the club at around $9.5 billion including debt. Todd Boehly only invested in the club four years ago.

That does not mean Chelsea’s new ownership structure is better or worse than before.

It demonstrates something important about modern football.

Football is becoming an asset class

That is perhaps the biggest change.

Football is no longer simply something wealthy individuals buy because they love the sport.

It is increasingly being viewed by institutional investors as an asset class with multiple potential revenue streams.

That means the investment opportunity can extend beyond owning a club.

There is private capital in stadiums, infrastructure, media rights, technology, sponsorship businesses and surrounding property.

It also explains why the FIFA proposal was so significant.

FIFA was effectively exploring whether the enormous commercial value of its competitions could be packaged into an investable structure.

FIFA argued investors would hold minority positions and would not receive control over sporting decisions or governance. It also argued the additional commercial value could increase funding available to football associations around the world.

That is a legitimate commercial proposition.

But once an asset is valued in the billions and external investors are being invited to participate, questions about control inevitably follow.

Who decides which commercial opportunities are pursued?

What happens when investors want one thing and football stakeholders want another?

And perhaps most importantly, who ultimately gets the benefit from football becoming more valuable?

The danger isn’t investment. It’s misalignment.

Football should not pretend it can grow without capital.

Football today requires enormous amounts of it.

The challenge is ensuring investment strengthens the sport rather than gradually redefining what the sport means to fans.

There are good reasons for clubs to develop their stadiums, diversify revenue and attract institutional capital.

There are also good reasons for supporters, players, federations and communities to ask what they receive in return.

FIFA’s recent episode demonstrates how quickly these questions can become political as well as financial.

The fact FIFA is now considering an independent governance review following such backlash shows the debate is not simply about whether the investment proposal was commercially sensible, but also about how decisions of that scale should be made.

That may be the most important question for football’s next financial era.

Private capital is here to stay. The tap isn’t turning off.

So, it’s critical football determines its rules of engagement before the next billion-dollar proposal lands on the table.

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