Athletic Club to invest 9 million in San Mamés expansion

Athletic Club has drawn up a plan to expand San Mamés and make room for more supporters at La Catedral. Treasurer Guillermo Ruiz-Longarte explained the project in a video that outlines the accounts and budget to be put before the General Assembly on October 28. One of the main announcements is the allocation of more than 9 million euros to the first and second phases of the stadium expansion.

• The San Mamés expansion will begin after the current season and covers a first and a second phase costing over 9 million euros.
• The club's investment plan reaches 15 million euros, triple the usual level, including upgrades at Lezama and new technology.
• With 193 million in revenue and 154 million in expenses, last season was historic financially despite a difficult year on the pitch.
• For 2026-27 the club expects 152 million in revenue and 155 million in expenses, with the team out of European competition.
• Removing guest tickets is estimated to have a 1.3 million euro impact, close to a third of the year's projected operating loss.

A 15 million investment plan for San Mamés, Lezama and technology

Ruiz-Longarte details that the club will present a set of investments that triple the usual levels seen in previous years. Of the 15 million euros planned, around 9.6 are earmarked for the stadium. There is also a sum of more than 2 million for expanding facilities at Lezama and close to 2 million more for technology, split between sports medicine and applications for business development.

When the building work starts and how capacity will grow

The stadium work will take place once the current campaign comes to an end. The treasurer has not put a figure on how many new seats the ground will gain, although growing La Catedral is one of the priorities that president Jon Uriarte has made public in his recent appearances.

Record accounts after a difficult season on the pitch

Athletic's last season offered a mixed picture. On the sporting side it was complicated, but financially it set a club record. Without selling any players, total revenue reached 193 million euros against a cost base of 154 million. That delivered an operating result of 38 million and a bottom line of 20 million.

Those numbers provide extra room to push forward with the infrastructure plan that Uriarte has been flagging over time.

2026-27 budget: lower income, no Europe and cost control

The next financial year will be very different. Without European competition, projected revenue drops to 152 million euros, with expenses of 155 million. The club will work hard to keep that shortfall as small as possible or to reduce it substantially. The main levers include strong results from the men's first team, higher attendance at San Mamés and further containment of spending.

The economic impact of ending guest tickets at San Mamés

The treasurer has also quantified the expected impact of removing guest tickets: 1.3 million euros. Against a budget of 152 million in revenue and 95 million in spending on the sporting squad, that figure may look small at first. The perspective changes when compared with the year's operating loss of 3 million: 1.3 million accounts for around a third of it.

Ruiz-Longarte highlights that this revenue has no direct cost attached to it, making it a net income. Those kinds of factors underline how difficult it is for the club to reach break-even or profitability, even before considering the wider stadium project.

Frequently asked questions about the San Mamés expansion