This Chelsea stadium concept never came to fruition (Image: PA)
Europe is home to some of the most iconic and historic football stadiums in the world, but there are also some stunning designs that unfortunately never made it off the draft board. From Old Trafford, the Theater of Dreams, to the Bernabeu, Camp Nou and San Siro, large stadiums have always been a hallmark of European football.
In recent years, modern marvels such as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with its 60,000 seats, retractable NFL pitch and microbrewery, have set new standards. However, there were many ambitious projects that, despite their potential greatness, never materialized.
Express sport takes a look at the European terrain, including a bizarre UFO design that promised so much but ultimately fell short.
Chelsea
Chelsea, the two-time Champions League winners, have long had plans to expand Stamford Bridge, which currently seats just over 40,000 spectators.
In 2012, former owner Roman Abramovich attempted to buy the then-defunct Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the River Thames. Unfortunately, the heritage-listed property was bought by another bidder, leaving the Blues' stunning plans, which included the building's four iconic chimneys, just a dream.
However, three years after their unsuccessful bid, a new design for Stamford Bridge was proposed, designed by the Swiss architectural firm Herzog and de Meuron. With Abramovich no longer in the picture, plans have been inconsistent but remain in the works, with a possible move to Earls Court being considered, among other things.
Chelsea remain at Stamford Bridge (Image: Chelsea FC)
Liverpool
Liverpool is another club that once tried to close the gap on its rivals with larger stadiums. In 2007, they unveiled plans to build a brand new 60,000-seat stadium in neighboring Stanley Park.
Previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett supported the idea, but it was later abandoned due to opposition from Liverpool City Council.
Despite this, Liverpool managed to reach the 60,000-seat mark at Anfield by expanding the Anfield Road stand by a further 7,000 seats last season.
Liverpool's plans for Stanley Park have been scrapped (Image: PA)
Everton
Like their city rivals, Everton proposed plans for a new stadium in the mid-to-late 2000s: a 50,000-seat gem at Kings Dock. However, the similarities between the Toffees and the Reds remain as the £150m plan – the club's third attempt at a move – was rejected by the government.
The rejections stopped in 2020 when Liverpool City Council approved Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock plan. Groundbreaking took place in 2021 and the current season will be the club's last at Goodison Park before moving into its new 52,888-seat home for the 2025/26 season.
Shocking plans for a joint stadium between Everton and Liverpool – the so-called “Siamese Stadium” – were also once on the table. Fortunately, the 2010 proposal to build the shared site in Stanley Park never saw the light of day, much to the perceived relief of both groups of supporters.
The Toffees have long wanted a home by the sea (Image: Everton FC)
Portsmouth
Meanwhile, in 2007, Portsmouth's ambitious vision of a new 36,000-seat Portsea Stadium was unveiled, designed by Herzog and de Meuron – who later also worked on Chelsea's initial designs.
The proposed waterfront stadium captured the imagination with its stunning design, but harsh reality hit when a £600 million project encompassing more than just the stadium was rejected. Even an alternative site on Hornsea Island failed to save the project from the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis, leaving Fratton Park as a Portsmouth home.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity, former Portsmouth CEO Peter Storrie recalled to The Athletic: “The stadium on the docks was a fantastic design, really stunning. It would have been perfect.”
“It was there by the water. They brought it to the screen for us and it definitely had the wow factor. It would have been an iconic venue. One of the greatest stadiums if it had been built.”
Portsmouth's plans were rejected (Image: Portsmouth FC)
Dinamo Zagreb
In another case of what might have been, Dinamo Zagreb fans can breathe a sigh of relief that the concept of the volcano-shaped stadium, dubbed the “Blue Volcano,” has remained a mere digital fantasy.
This “cloudy” eco-friendly stadium, which would have seated 55,000 spectators, is a strange idea that remains firmly in the realm of fantasy.
This concept never left the drawing board (Image: Dinamo Zagreb)
Barcelona
Barcelona began expanding and modernizing its iconic Camp Nou after the 2022/23 La Liga season. The project, expected to be completed by June 2026, will increase the stadium's capacity to 105,000 and add a new retractable roof.
However, there was once a plan to move the stadium with a planned capacity of 150,000 spectators to the sea, connected by a bridge. This would have been one of the most ambitious projects in European football.
Barcelona opted to renovate the Camp Nou instead (Image: FC Barcelona)
Bristol City instead opted to increase the capacity of Ashton Gate (Image: Bristol City)
Bristol city
In 2007, Bristol City announced plans to replace Ashton Gate with a new 42,000-seat stadium in Ashton Vale. However, residents applied for the area to be registered as urban green, which restricted future use and prevented development.
As a result, the club scrapped its plans and instead renovated its long-standing home stadium Ashton Gate in 2016, increasing capacity from 16,600 to 27,000.