Atletico shifts to new stadium
Afp, Madrid
Atletico Madrid will move to a bigger capacity stadium in 2010 under an agreement reached with the local council, the Spanish first division club's president and city officials said on Monday."We need to grow, to have a modern stadium, bigger than the existing one," Enrique Cerezo told a news conference. Under the deal Atletico will move to Stadium Madrid, a key part of the city's failed bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, which will seat roughly 75,000 after it is refurbished. The club's current home, the 55,000-seat Vicente Calderon which opened its doors in 1966, is set to be torn down after the move to be turned into a riverside park. Atletico have spent nearly 50 million euros (68 million US dollars) on new signings since they finished seventh in the Primera Liga last season. Uruguay striker Diego Forlan from Spanish side Villarreal, midfielder Luis Garcia from Liverpool and winger Simao Sabrosa from Benfica are among the club's new recruits while they look to be favourites to secure the services of Spanish international Jose Antonio Reyes from Arsenal. The club is in the second qualifying round for the UEFA Cup.
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