Selection of information regarding the possible construction of a new football stadium in Prague

Prague - A selection of information regarding the possible construction of a new football stadium in Prague at Strahov (the general assembly of the FAČR today approved Sparta as the winner of the competition for the utilization of the Strahov area, where Letenští intend to build a new stadium):

- The Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) announced an international competition this February for the utilization of the Strahov area with the aim of constructing a new stadium or training center by 2035 at the latest. The only bid was submitted by Prague Sparta. The FAČR executive committee moved the competition into the second round in April, where it will negotiate with Sparta on the terms for the construction of the new stadium. FAČR chairman Petr Fousek stated that the association will almost certainly reach an agreement with Sparta, but everything must be approved by the general assembly on May 30.

- Today, Sparta announced that it is offering the football association a rent of 1.7 billion crowns for the privilege of building a new arena at Strahov. This amount is to be paid out periodically over 30 years, with the first installment of 95 million to be paid immediately upon signing the contract.

- The FAČR general assembly then approved Sparta as the winner of the competition for the utilization of the Strahov area, where Letenští want to build a new stadium.

- Sparta has long expressed its interest in the Strahov grounds, as it already has its training center at the large Strahov stadium. The executive committee of the FAČR began negotiations with Sparta last June, where the club offered to build a new stadium at its own expense, which would also host the national team.

- Tomáš Křivda, director of Sparta's commercial department, said last May that the club will have to leave the stadium at Letná in the future and proceed to build a new one elsewhere in Prague. He stated that the main option is Strahov, where Sparta would like to construct a national stadium with a capacity of over 30,000 seats. According to him, there is a lack of space at Letná to improve services for stadium visitors and possibly increase capacity.

- Already in September 2021, Sparta's CEO František Čupr informed that Sparta offered the FAČR to build a national football stadium on the site of the current Evžen Rošický stadium. "Strahov, as a place of Czech sports, is also designated as a site for sports facilities in the urban plan, and is a logical choice for the potential construction of a sports stadium. The transport accessibility of the Strahov hill is expected to improve significantly in the coming years thanks to the expansion of urban transport. At this moment, I can say that the main option is to build a new stadium at Strahov," Křivda said at that time.

- Plans for the construction of a national stadium have been discussed since the 1996 European Football Championship. In 2003, Prague councilors supported the construction of a national stadium at Strahov on the site of the Evžen Rošický stadium. The project then counted on a modern sports arena for 52,000 spectators, which was to be completed by 2009 at a cost of 4.5 billion crowns, and the stadium was included in the project for Prague's Olympic bid. A year later, there was talk of possibly moving the stadium near the Stodůlky metro station in Prague 13; in April 2006, the leadership of the Prague 9 district offered the Českomoravský fotbalový svaz (ČMFS, predecessor of FAČR) a location at the former ČKD Tesla in Kolbenova Street in Vysočany for the construction of the stadium. In May 2006, then-Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek (ČSSD) promised that the state would support the project for constructing a national football stadium with a capacity of at least 35,000 seats at Letná on the site of the Sparta stadium with one billion crowns for building the transport infrastructure.

- In 2014, the coalition government of the social democrats, ANO movement, and the Christian Democrats opposed the construction of the national football stadium, refusing to provide financial guarantees for the project, causing the FAČR to abandon its efforts to co-host the European Championship in 2020 in Prague. Former FAČR chairman Miroslav Pelta hinted a year later that a national stadium could be created by increasing the capacity of the Prague Slavia stadium in Eden, but this idea was also discarded.

- The multifunctional Evžen Rošický stadium was built as a reserve for the Sokol sports grounds and opened in 1926. It originally had a capacity of around 50,000 spectators, mostly standing. After 1970, the stadium was reconstructed for the 1978 European Athletics Championships, and its capacity was reduced to about 19,000 spectators, which still ranks it among the largest stadiums in the country. In the past, the football national team played at Strahov, and from 2000 to 2008 the stadium was the home ground of the football club Slavia Prague. Some matches were also played by Bohemians Prague, Bohemians 1905, and Kladno. The FAČR, which owns the stadium, decided at the end of 2022 to close it due to serious defects in the steel structure. The stadium is named after the athlete and journalist Evžen Rošický, who was murdered by German occupiers during World War II.

- In connection with plans to revitalize the sports complex at Strahov, Prague is preparing to build a new tram line. In April of this year, the city announced that together with the transport company (DPP) it would apply for a permit and subsequently find a construction firm. According to Deputy Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates), the line from Malovanka to Strahov should be completed by 2027 at the latest.

- Sparta is currently located at Letná, its stadium with a heated pitch is also used by the national football team. The original wooden Sparta stadium hosted the first match as early as 1917, but over time it no longer met some requirements and had to be rebuilt. As early as 1934, the stadium's capacity was increased from the original 30,000 to 45,000 spectators, and three years later a completely new main stand made of reinforced concrete was built. From 1967 to 1969, the stadium was fundamentally reconstructed, replacing the existing wooden stands with reinforced concrete structures. Its capacity was reduced to just under 36,000 spectators. Further modernization was completed in 1994, and since then the stadium's capacity has reached almost 19,000 spectators.