In Bratislava, they are demolishing Tehelné pole to build a new arena

Bratislava - In Slovakia, the famous football stadium Tehelné pole has begun to be demolished, which in the past hosted matches of the Czechoslovak national team as well as the federal derby and was a witness to the successes of Slovan Bratislava. In recent years, however, the structure has been deteriorating. A new arena for around 20,000 spectators is set to be built on its site over the next two years with the financial support of the state.
    The stadium, located in the broader center of the Slovak capital, is adjacent to a modern ice hockey hall and a national tennis center, and was built during the war. Tehelné pole, with a capacity of 50,000 spectators, experienced a number of prestigious matches during the period of the former Czechoslovak federation and remembers Slovan Bratislava's journey to victory in the PVP in 1969.
    The stand underwent reconstruction in the 1990s, but later began to deteriorate and hosted its last match four years ago. Plans for the construction of a modern football arena, which is missing in Slovakia, were postponed.
    The first government of the current prime minister Robert Fico in 2009 promised a grant of over 69 million euros (1.8 billion crowns) for a new national football stadium, but a year later, the new cabinet canceled the provision of the contribution due to the poor state of public finances.
    The businessman Ivan Kmotrík revitalized the plans for a new arena. The owner of Slovan, the winner of the previous season of the highest Slovak football competition, announced that the entire complex, including the stadium, administrative areas, apartments, and other infrastructure, could cost 70 million euros. The final budget will be known after the selection of the construction company.
    "If we manage to demolish the stadium within four months, we will start construction at the end of the year. The construction itself will take 18 to 20 months," Kmotrík said during today's farewell to the old stadium, where over 2700 matches took place.
    The new stadium with a capacity of around 20,000 spectators, on which the Slovak national team is expected to play home matches, will eventually receive support from the state. The government today approved that in the coming years, it will support the project with an amount not exceeding 27.2 million euros. "Every euro from the state will please us. First and foremost, we will finance it from our own funds," Kmotrík responded.
    The businessman had previously stated that the construction of new football stadiums in Slovakia is necessary not only for European competitions but also to fulfill the intention of creating a joint competition with Czech clubs. Inadequate stadiums in Slovakia are seen as one of the obstacles to a Czech-Slovak league. A major modernization of the football stadium has already started earlier in Trnava.