Doosan Arena, previously known as Stadion města Plzně (Plzeň City Stadium), is a multi-purpose stadium in Plzeň, Czech Republic. It is located in Štrunc Park, near the confluence of the Mže and Radbuza rivers. The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FC Viktoria Plzeň. The stadium holds 11,700 people. It is also known as Stadion ve Štruncových sadech (Stadium in Štrunc Park), named after Emil Štrunc, a former regional chieftain of the Sokol Movement (some people incorrectly think it is named after a famous local footballer Stanislav Štrunc).[citation needed]

Doosan Arena
Štruncovy sady
Map
Full nameDoosan Arena
Former namesStadion města Plzně (1955–2012)
LocationŠtruncovy sady 3,Plzeň, Czech Republic, 301 12
Coordinates49°45′00″N 13°23′08″E / 49.75000°N 13.38556°E / 49.75000; 13.38556
OwnerThe city of Plzeň
OperatorFC Viktoria Plzeň
Capacity11,700[1]
Record attendance35.000[2]
Spartak Plzeň 1–7 FK Dukla Praha, September, 1961
Field size105 by 68 metres (115 by 74 yd)
SurfaceGrass
Field
Construction
Broke ground1953
Built1953–1955
Opened1955
Renovated2003, 2011
Tenants
FC Viktoria Plzeň (1955–present)
Czech Republic national football team (selected matches)
Website
www.fcviktoria.cz
Doosan Arena, Czech Republic 2–1 Iceland, 2014
Doosan Arena

History

edit

The stadium was opened in 1955 for the regional Spartakiad. After various construction enlargements, its capacity was 35,000 people, 7,600 of which were seated. In 2002–03 it underwent reconstruction to comply with the needs of football association and the capacity lowered significantly to 7,425 people.[3]

2011 reconstruction

edit

In April 2011, work costing approximately 360 million Czech koruna got under way to modernise the stadium in line with UEFA criteria.[4] While the reconstruction was in progress, the capacity of the stadium was reduced to 3,500 spectators.[5] At the end of August 2011, part of the 2011 reconstruction had finished, leaving the stadium with a new capacity of around 8,500.[6] In December 2011, the reconstruction was finished with a resultant capacity of almost 12,000.[7]

In 2011, Plzeň played in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage. However, home matches were played at Synot Tip Arena in Prague due to the reconstruction. In January 2012, the stadium was approved for use in Plzeň's 2011–12 UEFA Europa League match with Schalke 04.[8]

Average Attendance

edit
  • 1993/94 – 5,774
  • 1994/95 – 4,573
  • 1995/96 – 3,441
  • 1996/97 – 4,626
  • 1997/98 – 3,819
  • 1998/99 – 4,033
  • 2000/01 – 3,073
  • 2003/04 – 3,622
  • 2005/06 – 4,118
  • 2006/07 – 4,836
  • 2007/08 – 3,828
  • 2008/09 – 4,005
  • 2009/10 – 3,629
  • 2010/11 – 6,415
  • 2011/12 – 7,009
  • 2012/13 – 10,046
  • 2013/14 – 10,089
  • 2014/15 – 10,868

International matches

edit

Doosan Arena has hosted one friendly and eight competitive matches of the Czech Republic national football team

12 October 2012 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Group B Czech Republic   3–1   Malta Plzeň, Czech Republic
18:00 CEST (UTC+02)
Match 724/216
Gebre Selassie   34'
Pekhart   52'
Rezek   67'
FIFA Report Briffa   38' Stadium: Stadion města Plzně
Attendance: 10,358
Referee: Salmanov (Azerbaijan)
16 November 2014 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group A Czech Republic   2–1   Iceland Plzeň, Czech Republic
20:45 CET (UTC+01)
Match 744/236
Kadeřábek   45+1'
Halldórsson   61' (o.g.)
UEFA Report R. Sigurðsson   9' Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 11,324[9]
Referee: Stark (Germany)
3 September 2015 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group A Czech Republic   2–1   Kazakhstan Plzeň, Czech Republic
20:45 CEST (UTC+02)
Match 748/240
Škoda   74', 86' Report Logvinenko   21' Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 10,572[10]
Referee: Strömbergsson (Sweden)
8 October 2017 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Czech Republic   5–0   San Marino Plzeň, Czech Republic
20:45
(20:45 UTC+1)
Report Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 5,625
Referee: Alex Troleis (France)
14 November 2019 (2019-11-14) UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group A Czech Republic   2–1   Kosovo Plzeň, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+1 Král   71'
Čelůstka   79'
Report Nuhiu   50' Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 10,986
Referee: Rocchi (Italy)
15 November 2020 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B Czech Republic   1–0   Israel Plzeň, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+1
Report Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 0
Referee: Srđan Jovanović (Serbia)
18 November 2020 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B Czech Republic   2–0   Slovakia Plzeň, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+1
Report Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 0
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)
8 September 2021 Friendly Czech Republic   1–1   Ukraine Plzeň, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 5,231
Referee: Filip Glova (Slovakia)
15 October 2023 (2023-10-15) UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Czech Republic   1–0   Faroe Islands Plzeň, Czech Republic
18:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 9,115
Referee: Rohit Saggi (Norway)

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Základní informace
  2. ^ "Klub | Historie | Památné zápasy | FC VIKTORIA Plzeň".
  3. ^ eFotbal.cz: Plzeň chce nový stadion až za 400 milionů - 20 May 2010
  4. ^ "Rekonstrukce stadionu začala, do Štruncových sadů vjely bagry" (in Czech). idnes.cz. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  5. ^ "Plzeň začala na novém stadionu šetřit, škrtla vybavení za 24 milionů" (in Czech). idnes.cz. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Fanouškovský kotel plzeňských fotbalistů roste. A stěhuje se" (in Czech). idnes.cz. 27 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  7. ^ "Zájemci si mohou prohlédnout opravený stadion ve Štruncových sadech" (in Czech). idnes.cz. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  8. ^ "UEFA rozhodla: zápas Plzeň - Schalke se bude hrát na stadionu v Plzni" (in Czech). Hospodářské noviny. 16 January 2012. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  9. ^ "FOTBAL.CZ - Reprezentace A - statistiky".
  10. ^ "Kvalifikace EURO 2016: Česká republika - Kazachstán 2:1 - Reprezentace - FOTBAL.CZ".
edit