The owner of the stadium is the City of Prague. Which already planned in August 2022 to announce an architectural competition, from which the plan for the renovation of Ďolíček should emerge. Hope and time to look forward? Not quite.
As Panenka himself indicated, almost no progress has taken place in a year and a half. Patience has run out, so Bohemians will take over the reconstruction. On my own. On Monday morning, the editorial staff of Sport.cz also requested a statement from the municipality of the Capital City of Prague, but so far no response.
According to the owner of Bohemians 1905, Dariusz Jakubowicz, the club understood that they would not see the reconstruction of Ďolíček from Prague.
The club is therefore ready to secure financing from its own resources.
Ideal scenario according to the owner:
This year, start designing the details of the staged… pic.twitter.com/duaVWhbk7v— Sportsman (@SportakCZ) February 5, 2024
“We understood that Prague would not do it for us. We are going into it on our own initiative and with our own resources,” said club boss Dariusz Jakubowicz on the Ušák show. “Sometime in two years’ time, we would like to start physical work. We have to agree terms with Prague, negotiate a compromise. Even if not everyone would like to have Ďolicek in that place, he should be there for me. He has genius loci,” Jakubowicz added.
Which is very hard to disagree with.
A cozy stand, set right in the city without being an eyesore. The main grandstand is so steep that even the spectators in the top row are damn close to the pitch. Which means a hellish environment for any opponent. Additionally, if a league player on the opposite side of the home boiler doesn’t lower his instep enough, he can hit an unsuspecting person waiting for a streetcar nearby. The Bohemians stop in the direction of the nearby railway station is located literally a few meters from the stadium. Džoliček simply has its own charm.
But even that cannot cover the unsatisfactory technical condition. It was because of him that the green and white couldn’t really welcome Bodö/Glimt home during their comeback to Europe after 36 years in August. They always had to take Letna. UEFA was adamant, they did not grant an exception.
Of course, the Bohemians fans also created a fantastic atmosphere at the Sparta stadium, which matched the really big match. But no one from the club made a secret of the fact that they would rather welcome the Norwegian soccer player to Ďolíček.
The last major reconstruction of the iconic stand took place in 1970. Since then, the club has honestly invested in various small things, unless it was facing the threat of bankruptcy. Like in 2005. Back then, a collection of fans helped save him. Greater proof that they deserve a new Ďolicek is hard to find.
And it seems that those who still remember the renovation from the days of early normalization will see it again after more than half a century.
But celebrating prematurely does not pay off, which even Panenka realizes. “I am an optimist and believe that one day we will go to the new Ďolíček. On the other hand, you know it. As long as the new stadium is not standing, anything can happen,” he aptly added.
2024-02-07 07:33:19
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