Cutting-edge look for Croatia venues

Image: City of Zagreb

Big changes are on the horizon for the football fans in Zagreb. The City of Zagreb (Croatia) has announced a capital injection of €44 million investment to modernize the Kranjčevićeva Stadium in Zagreb, Croatia, which will serve as the Croatian professional football club Dinamo Zagreb’s temporary home starting in 2026.

‘the dubrovnik times’ stated that the above move paves the way for the demolition and reconstruction of the iconic Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb (home of Dinamo Zagreb) which is expected to wear an avant-garde look by the year 2028.

The 5,350-capacity Kranjčevićeva Stadium is a multipurpose stadium located in the Trešnjevka neighborhood in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It is mainly used for football matches.

The GNK Dinamo Zagreb is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb, Croatia. The Dinamo play their home matches at the Maksimir Stadium. They are the most successful club in Croatian football and play in the Croatian Football League, the top Croatian professional football league competition.

Image: City of Zagreb

The Maksimir Stadium is a multiuse stadium in Zagreb, Croatia. Named after the surrounding neighborhood of Maksimir, it is one of the largest stadiums in Croatia with a current seating capacity of 25,912 and a maximum possible capacity of 35,423. It is the home stadium of the Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb and has been used since 1990 by the Croatia national football team for the majority of the international competitions.
 

UEFA-standard Stadium

The Mayor of Zagreb Tomislav Tomašević informed that construction on the Kranjčevićeva Stadium will kick off in early 2025 with completion targeted for September 2026. The renovated stadium will expand its seating capacity from 5,350 to 11,163 meeting the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Category 4 requirements. The upgrade will ensure that the stadium will be in a position to host the top-tier matches including the Champions League games up to the semi-final stage.

Enthused Mayor Tomašević, “We’re thrilled to bring this project to life after overcoming numerous challenges. With the building permit secured and procurement underway we are ready to transform the Kranjčevićeva Stadium into a modern football venue.”

Image: City of Zagreb

Nyon (Switzerland)-based the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan as well as the West Asian countries of Cyprus, Armenia and Israel. The UEFA consists of 55 national association members. Since 2022, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from any FIFA and UEFA competitions.
 

Cutting-edge

‘the dubrovnik times’ further stated that the redesigned Kranjčevićeva Stadium will offer cutting-edge facilities to meet the needs of the players, the staff and the fans.
 

The key upgrades include:

• Fully covered seating for all spectators;
• A hybrid playing surface;
• Modern light-emitting diode (LED) floodlighting to replace the outdated systems; and
• Advanced infrastructure for the teams, the technical staff and the media.

 
The total investment of €44 million includes €35 million for construction and additional costs for value-added tax (VAT) with the full budget covered by the City of Zagreb.

Once completed, the Kranjčevićeva Stadium will become the temporary home for the Dinamo Zagreb and could also host the Croatian national team matches. This will ensure both teams boast a top-notch venue while the Maksimir Stadium undergoes its much-needed spruce-up.

The demolition of the Maksimir Stadium will mark the beginning of a new chapter for Croatian football with the new-look facility expected to open in 2028. The project promises to elevate Zagreb’s football infrastructure securing its position as a hub for both domestic and international competitions.

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• Croatia
• Kranjčevićeva Stadium
• Zagreb

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