FC Sion unveiled its XL stadium project at the start of October. Switzerland’s most expensive stadium is set to be built in Valais – surrounded by a rollercoaster. The eccentric president has now explained the background.
The Cervin Coliseum, as FC Sion’s new stadium is to be called, is estimated to cost 450 million Swiss francs – equivalent to just over 480 million euros. This project, the most expensive stadium project in Swiss sporting history, is to be financed entirely privately through a property development.
In an interview with the *Blick*, club boss Christian Constantin explained what he intends to do differently compared to the stadium project in Zurich, Switzerland’s economic hub, which is also in the spotlight: “Firstly, we will continue to play in the existing stadium until the Coliseum opens. In Zurich, the Hardturm was demolished before planning permission for the new arena had been granted.” As a result, people had become accustomed to a stadium-free reality. Constantin continued: “In Sion, on the other hand, nothing will change for the people. On the contrary. We are pressing ahead full steam with the construction of the underground car park. This will mean the loss of many above-ground parking spaces. Which is why I don’t expect much opposition.”
If everything goes to plan, construction is set to begin in 2028 and, once completed, the Cervin Coliseum will seat 21,000 spectators at football matches – making it the fifth-largest football stadium in the country. It would even have capacity for 33,000 people at concerts. “The construction period will be four years. So the aim is to open the Coliseum for the 2032/33 season,” says Constantin.
Then there’s the rollercoaster
One extravagant feature of the stadium is definitely the planned rollercoaster running around the arena. It is driving up the costs by around 20 million Swiss francs. Constantin sees an opportunity to create an attraction that isn’t solely centred on snow, unlike most attractions in the canton of Valais: “I’m expecting 250,000 visitors a year who will come specifically for the rollercoaster. And once they’re there, they’ll take a look at the stadium too.”
Currently – and indeed since 1968 – FC Sion, who are third in the table, play at the Stade de Tourbillon in the Rhône Valley. The ground, which holds a good 14,000 fans, is by far the oldest stadium in Switzerland.
