**ISTANBUL**
Manchester United announced plans Tuesday to build a new 100,000-seat stadium to replace the club’s historic Old Trafford.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the new stadium will be built adjacent to Old Trafford to preserve “the essence” of the club’s 115-year-old home but the start of the construction “depends on how quickly” the government begins its regeneration project for the area.
The team expects to build its new home in five years, although such an enormous project would take 10, says Lord Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners, the architecture group appointed to design the stadium.
“Our long-term objective as a club is to have the world’s best football team playing in the world’s best stadium,” said 20-time English champions’ CEO Omar Berrada.
Sir Alex Ferguson, a United legend and one of the most successful managers in football history, also supported the project.
“Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in,” said Ferguson. “Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home fit for the future, where new history can be made.”
The Red Devil’s new home will be one of the largest football stadiums in Europe, rivaling Barcelona’s Camp Nou, which has a similar capacity.
The club added that the project is expected to generate £7.3 billion ($9.3 billion) annually for the UK’s economy, creating 92,000 jobs, 17,000 homes and attract 1.8 million visitors each year.
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