Spain: Sevilla FC, an example to follow in terms of ecological adaptation

In Seville, irrigation water and rainwater are systematically reused both in the main Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium and in the club's sports facilities, located a few kilometers away.

AFP/Archives

Text by: François Musseau Follow

2 mins

While in France, and elsewhere, football clubs are at the center of controversy over ecological adaptation, in Spain, a sports entity is a reference in the matter.

This is Seville Football Club, one of the two big clubs in the Andalusian capital.

A club that has a global approach linked to environmental impact. 

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Sevilla FC's approach is not a recent opportunistic strategy, but already in place since 2011, with a real project, and a real overall vision which can be summed up in one concern: how to reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible ?

It all started with a small revolution in the treatment of turf, a different treatment in winter and summer. 

A contract has been signed with a supplier of natural fertilizers which makes it possible to fertilize the lawn in a balanced and sustainable way, and to consolidate a substrate which retains humidity and therefore, to require less watering, on average, 50% in less. 

Imperatively reduce water consumption 

In the south of Spain, the question of water is fundamental.

The central idea is to reduce water consumption.

In Seville, the heat waves are more terrible every time, the thermometer even reached 48°C this summer.

We are of course counting on recycling, irrigation water and rainwater are systematically reused both in the main stadium, the Sanchez Pizjuan, and in the sports facilities a few kilometers away.

This allows the club to save 50% of water.

In addition, an aljibe of 1000 m3 is being built, an aljibe is the Arabic name given here to designate a water reservoir, which will be fed by pipes and by a huge roof supposed to collect rainwater.

And soon, toilet water will also be reused.

Other clubs follow in the footsteps of Sevilla FC 

A club approach that echoes, especially with the heat waves of this summer.

The sports media are also talking about it more and more because the club's leaders have a global, integral approach.

A remote control system makes it possible to increase or decrease the illumination of the stadium depending on whether it is a simple training session or a match broadcast on television. 

All the machinery used is 100% electric, which also avoids acoustic contamination.

The club claims to have achieved 75% savings on its energy consumption, which is considerable.

And effective, to the point that five other Mediterranean clubs, which are also suffering from drought, have decided to follow suit, in Valencia or Mallorca and also Betis, the sworn enemy and the other big football club from Seville. 

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