BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Leading Argentine club San Lorenzo have taken a big step towards a return to their old Buenos Aires barrio home Boedoare after a long campaign by fans.
The Saints have made an offer to French supermarket giant Carrefour to build on La Plata Avenue where their original Gasometro stadium stood, the club said on their website (www.sanlorenzo.com.ar).
“Both parties have agreed on the technical (building) project, so all that remains to be settled is the economic matter to definitively close the accord,� they said.
“Carrefour have committed themselves to giving a reply to the economic offer on 18 December,� they added without revealing the amount of money involved.
Buenos Aires city hall voted into law in 2008 the return of the premises to San Lorenzo after the former military government forced the heavily-indebted club to sell up in 1979 with Carrefour buying the site and building a hypermarket.
Club members and fans have for years been paying into a savings scheme run by Banco Ciudad to contribute towards the project of building a new stadium on the old site.
San Lorenzo, after playing home games at other grounds, erected a stadium in 1993 called Nuevo (new) Gasometro on the city outskirts where they celebrated their 12th Argentine league title in 2013 and first Libertadores Cup last year.
Named after a Jesuit priest called Lorenzo Massa, the club got the blessing of their best-known fan, Pope Francis, who went to matches at the Gasometro in his youth, for a return to Boedo.
(Writing by Rex Gowar; Editing by Ken Ferris)