FootballMikel Merino: “I’m lucky to be alive”
The footballer reflects on a seat change that may have saved his life, and on a serious injury that nearly ruled him out of the World Cup.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (free licence), cropped and styled by SportNestra — author and licence
The Nou Mestalla project has reached another milestone: the future stadium’s roof is now defined as a textile membrane, while its VIP and press areas are being redesigned. The project amendment was approved by Valencia City Council as part of an urban-planning permit. Work is therefore advancing both on site and through the administrative process.
The main change concerns the roof, one of the stadium’s most visible features. The approved design selects a next-generation PVC membrane. This option had already been considered alongside a rigid roof, but it has now been chosen for construction. Work is expected to reach the stage of tensioning the cables that will support the membrane soon.
The project’s technical report highlights the solution’s lightness, lower structural requirements and ability to cover wide spans. It also notes that the design would allow more natural light to reach the playing surface.
The roof is expected to weigh 4,800 tonnes and rest on 50 external steel pillars, which will form the main supporting columns of the façade. Alongside the roof changes, the approved amendments revise the VIP hospitality and media areas to meet the stadium’s current needs.
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