Czech Republic second-tier league leader FC Hradec Králové is finally set for a new stadium by 2023 after the local authority signed up contractors for the €22m project.
Strabag, Geosan and D&D Elektromont will lead the construction of the 8,000-capacity multi-usage arena which will be the home of the team that is currently on course to be promoted to the Czech top-tier Fortuna Liga. The stadium will replace the club’s existing Všesportovní Stadion, which has been part-demolished since 2017 when plans for a new arena first progressed.
The new venue, which will feature an athletics track, will be able to host up to 25,000 spectators for concerts, and the capacity for sports events could be increased to 9,300. It will meet the UEFA 4 category requirements, meaning it can host international matches.
The stadium will also incorporate three gyms, a 100m indoor track and an outdoor amphitheatre into the stadium.
FC Hradec Králové chairman Jan Michálek said the construction of a new stadium is a guarantee of the club’s continued existence.
“Without a dignified home, the club would expect a gradual but inevitable demise,” said Michálek. “The new arena should also help the city gain a strategic partner’s club.”
The designs for the stadium were devised by architect Tomáš Vymetálek, with all planning and permits already in place. A construction schedule is due to be agreed in the coming days, with demolition work at the location expected to begin in the autumn.
“The ambition of our implementation team is to build a stadium in Hradec Králové, which will be the pride of the city thanks to its architecture and multifunctional place, always full of life,” said Ondřej Novák, chairman of Strabag, the Austria-headquartered construction company.
The demolition of Všesportovní stadion started in September 2017, but work was delayed for some years. The stadium has operated at a reduced capacity in the four years since.
Images: Hradec Králové
