April 23 – The BGN 1 million (€500 000) demolition of the CSKA Sofia Bulgarian Army stadium has begun and is expected to be completed within two months – a month earlier than planned – making way for a new BGN 90 million (€45 million) stadium and events centre.
The new event centre will be built on the site of the current stadium, and also be used for a number of other activities and events as well as football.
The club organised a special day for the Bulgarian media to show how the stadium dismantling activities are going. But CSKA are still in the process of selecting a contractor for the construction of the new stadium.
“The new stadium that will be built on the site of the Bulgarian Army will have a capacity of about 16,000 seats, which can be increased for individual events to 18,000,” said Daniel Dimov, a member of the Management Board of the ‘Sports Properties Bulgarian Army] company, which was created specifically for the construction of CSKA’s base.
Dimov explained that the new facility will not only be for football games, but also for concerts and other public events. Until now, the stadium held about 20,000 people.
“We have a ready project, we are working on the selection of contractors. Such a stadium has not been built in the last 40 years in Bulgaria. We have to choose a builder. There is no option not to build the stadium, the process is irreversible. Capacity is a painful topic for everyone, but we comply with givens.
“It can’t be for 40,000 people. It’s easier to build it than to maintain it. From 16,000 to 18,000 will be the capacity, depending on the events. This will not be just a stadium, but an event center. It provides opportunities that no other sports facility in Bulgaria offers. The main things have been agreed with UEFA,” said Dimov.
The club said that cameras will soon be installed at the site so that fans can follow the construction live and in real time.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1734914109labto1734914109ofdlr1734914109owedi1734914109sni@o1734914109fni1734914109