Baník Ostrava is set to return to Bazaly, a new stadium will begin construction in 2029

PROJEKTSTUDIO: Feasibility study on the capacity of the Bazaly football stadium (2024)

Ostrava - A new football stadium is expected to begin construction in Ostrava in 2029. The sports facility, designed for up to 20,000 spectators at a cost of 2.5 billion crowns, is to be built in the Bazaly area. This is the site where the Silesian club FC Baník Ostrava played its matches from 1959 until the 2014/2015 season. Representatives of the Ostrava city council, the club, the Czech Football Association (FAČR), and Vítkovice Arena signed a memorandum in this regard in Ostrava today. This was reported to journalists by the council spokesperson Gabriela Pokorná.

The signatories of the memorandum aim to secure funding for the project named New Bazaly. The facility is intended to offer as wide a range of uses as possible, whether for the general public or professional athletes. With its specifications, the stadium will allow for not only league matches but also international games, including matches of the Czech national football team. At the same time, it will bring football back to the Silesian Ostrava area, the club's original location. The final architectural design for the New Bazaly building could be known by the end of 2025. Currently, ten architectural teams from both the domestic and international spheres are working on its design, which has advanced to the second round of an announced architectural competition.

According to Ostrava Mayor Jan Dohnal (Spolu), the project will be complex and will keep the city busy for many years. For this reason, the city council must be in symbiosis with the FAČR and the club. By the end of May, he stated, the designs will be completed. "From them, we will select four, five, or six to send to the next round for further development," he said, adding that the winner of the competition will be known in November. Then the project documentation will be prepared, and a construction permit process will take place. Construction is expected to start in 2029.

Dohnal added that the new sports facility aims not only to become the best football stadium in the country but also a new architectural gem of the city. He added that the project must go hand in hand with the operational solutions of the building. "That is why the architectural competition is crucial for us. We want to build a structure that will become a magnet for athletes and tourists from across the country," Dohnal stated.

The chairman of the board of FC Baník Ostrava, Václav Brabec, told journalists that today's act is a symbolic confirmation that the project has broad support. "We all want a new football facility to be created. We believe it will serve not only Baník but also represent Ostrava in international matches," Brabec stated.

The new stadium, which will allow for international matches including representative games, is expected to be certified according to the BREEAM standard (building sustainability). The facility will include a club museum, as well as a restaurant and fan shops.

Bazaly was the traditional home of Baník, but the footballers had to move to the Municipal Stadium in Ostrava-Vítkovice because the original did not meet the established conditions. However, the operation of footballers and athletes in a shared facility has repeatedly been described by the city leadership as fairly problematic, unsustainable in terms of capacity, and furthermore, there are plans for further athletics development at the Municipal Stadium.

The city decided to buy Bazaly in 2013 when the club was facing significant financial problems. The city paid approximately 115 million crowns for the area, saving the club from bankruptcy. The purchase of Bazaly faced considerable criticism and was only approved at a subsequent vote in the municipal council. The city then had the facility renovated for approximately 320 million crowns, and since 2019 it has served young footballers for training as well. The spectator capacity of the stadium's main playing area is currently 450 seats.