due to the track causing a distance between the stands and the field itself, resulting in a "cold" atmosphere during matches. The project also intended to construct a hotel and shops, among other items. This proposal was soon rejected by the city council and left behind. Towards the end of 2007, Iñaki Badiola, candidate for the presidency of Real Sociedad, proposed that the club buy the stadium. This was also soon rejected by the city council. In 2008, Badiola, by now the president, made another two proposals for the stadium, one of them similar to Gipuzkoarena. These proposals were to be studied by the city council, but after 20 December Badiola was no longer the club's president. Later, his successor, Jokin Aperribay, launched a new attempt to refurbish the stadium. 2015 project In 2015 the club announced that it would begin reforms on Anoeta in 2016, enlarging the stadium as well as removing the track around the field. Construction eventually began in May 2017. When completed in October 2019, the remodelled arena would hold around 42,300 spectators. The €47 million cost of the project was borne between Real Sociedad (€33m), the Basque Government (€10m) and the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council (€4m). the architect is Izaskun Larzabal, who also designed many of the facilities at the club's Zubieta training complex. After the project completion, the total cost announced including some new improvements that would take place until 2020 was of €78,6 million. Depending on any issues and delays encountered, it was reported that the construction work could lead to Real Sociedad playing some matches in Bilbao or elsewhere at some point during the period. The first phase of reconstruction (involving the removal of the track and insertion of lower rows of seats on the side stands, and a completely new south end stand) concluded just after the start of the 2018–19 La Liga season, requiring the club to play their first three fixtures away from home, before hosting FC Barcelona on the fourth matchday (15 September 2018). Over 3,000 additional members were admitted to the club due to the increase in capacity offered by the remodelled stadium. The second phase of work on the new north end stand was expected to be completed over the course of that season. Real Sociedad played away from home for each of the first three rounds of the 2019–20 La Liga campaign to allow the stadium