Stadion Balgarska Armia
Full name | Bulgarian Army Stadium |
---|---|
Former names | Atletik Park (1923–1944) Stadion Chavdar (1944–1948) Narodna Armia (1948–1990) Balgarska Armia (1990–) |
Location | Sofia, Bulgaria |
Coordinates | 42°41′3″N 23°20′23″E / 42.68417°N 23.33972°E |
Public transit | Vasil Levski Stadium;
Grass |
Construction | |
Built | 1965 |
Opened | 1967 |
Renovated | 1982, 1997, 2001, 2015, 2016 |
Closed | 2023 |
Architect | Anton Karavelov, Simeon Ivanov |
Tenants | |
OSK AS-23 (1923–1944) Chavdar Sofia (1944–1948) CSKA Sofia (1948–2023) |
Stadion Balgarska Armia (
The capacity of the stadium is divided in four sectors:
- Sector A: 6417 seats
- Sector B: 4889 seats
- Sector V: 5689 seats
- Sector G: 6000 (1500 seats[2])
The sports complex also includes tennis courts, a basketball court, and gymnastics facilities, as well the CSKA Sofia Glory Museum. The press conference room has 80 seats.
In late 2023, the stadium was closed, in preparation for its reconstruction, which will involve a complete overhaul and demolition of the current stands and rebuilding the stadium into a football-specific stadium, without an athletics track. During the process, CSKA would play home matches at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, situated only a couple of hundred meters away from the Balgarska Armia.
History
Built in 1923 for
In 2000, the stadium was equipped with a new Dynacord surround sound system, capable of 48 kilowatts and 107
Despite the improvements over the years, parts of the stadium are in a deteriorating condition, especially sector B, which has been completely closed down for spectators and covered with advertising instead, in order to hide the growing plant and fungi life underneath. The seating of the stadium is also in a poor condition, with many seats being either partially broken or missing completely, with the main cause being hooliganism over the years.
Reconstruction plan
In 2023 CSKA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports established a joint venture, which should undertake reconstruction of the stadium. The reconstructed stadium will have 18,000 seats and meet UEFA Category 4 criteria.[4]
In October 2023 a building permit was granted by Sofia municipality. Demolition of the old stadium is expected to begin in early January 2024. The "New Balgarska Armia" ground will be completed for 18 months.
The last game on the old stadium was held on 10th December, 2023, between CSKA and Ludogorets Razgrad, ending in a 0-1 loss for CSKA. After the match, fans on the stadium were allowed to take a piece of the stadium as a memory from the venue before demolition begins.[5]
References
- ^ a b "Над 10 000 чакат на ЦСКА - Лудогорец, сектор "Г" приема до 6000".
- ^ a b "Футболни Новини от България » Еропа и Света - 7 Дни Спорт". 5 October 2018.
- ^ Bulgarska Armia Stadium Sportal.bg Retrieved 20 Feb 2013
- ^ "Реконструкция: Стадион "Българска армия"". YouTube.
- ^ "ЦСКА обявява следващите стъпки по реконструкцията на "Армията"". Topsport.bg (in Bulgarian). 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.