BERLIN (AFP) - Bayer Leverkusen announced on Friday plans for a 56-million-euro face-lift to turn their BayArena stadium into a 30,000 all-seater facility by 2009.

The Bundesliga side, currently sixth in the table, will start work on their stadium at the end of this year and expect to have it ready for the start of the 2009/2010 season.

"We are very pleased the plans have been aprroved for the upgrade of the stadium, it points to a successful future for the club," said Leverkusen's general manager Wolfgang Holzhauser.

"In the new BayArena, we will have a state-of-the-art infrastructure with excellent corporate facilities."

The stadium's capacity will be raised from the present figure of 22,500 to just over 30,000 seats and the hospitality area will be extended by an extra 2,000 places.