(HNS is looking to build a new stadium similar to Antalya)
Sportske Novosti have reported that a brand-new 35,000 seat stadium will be built within the next four years for the Croatian national football team. The Vatreni have called Maksimir home since Croatia’s independence with Poljud, Kantrida and Gradski Vrt rarely called on to host games.
And although Zagreb was where all the action was at for the past two decades; not much will change with the new stadium. It’s location will be in Velika Gorica which is 15 kilometers (9 miles) southeast of Zagreb and directly next to Zagreb international airport.
The stadium will meet UEFA guidelines to host possible future Euro group stage matches and even a Europa League Final.
@ OLC – Good on you. Convenient to be able to fly from London and make it happen. I hope you enjoy the WC this summer in Russia and hopefully we make it out of the group so you can watch game 4 and 5 and how ever far we hopefully go.
A track is a good buffer between fans and the players. Harder to get those flares onto the field and easier to monitor security. Asthetically, tracks are ugly and take away from by the fan experience to me. Since this is specific to football, I’d guess they do without it.
Good luck to anyone going to any of the three games this summer, especially if you’re going to Kaliningrad.
I’ve actually been to Kaliningrad and it’s probably the most ugly and depressing town on Earth. It’s something like the worst parts of Novi Zagreb but even more brutal and soulless if that’s possible.
Game 1
Fly Syd – Zagreb arrive 15th june lunchtime( 24hrs)
20 hour layover zagreb
16th june Fly Zagreb – Frankfurt – Gdansk 5hr trip
Pick up hire car and make 3 hr drive to kalinigrad
52 hour trip… pricks better win.
Game 2
Fly zagreb -Moscow then take bullet train ..get the fk out of there after the game
Game 3 give it a miss
@OneLastChance,
That’s awesome. That’s smart of you to fly back to London. Hopefully you get to see our guys in all games, especially 4 and 5.
@ CroatianPerson85
I have tickets to all three games plus the next two knock out round games for Croatia (or if they get knocked out the group winner).
Kaliningrad is in a weird location, which is great for me! I’m in London so I can easily fly there and back on the weekend as the game is on a Saturday at 9pm local time.
I will go to the second game by flying to Moscow and then taking the free night train to Nizhny. Anyone with a match ticket can use the train service found here for free:
https://tickets.transport2018.com/free-train/schedule
I will take the train back to Moscow the following day and fly back to London.
I still have to work out what I’m doing about game 3, 4 and 5. At the moment the plan is to skip 3 and then go back for 4 and stay out there for 5.
The tickets cost just under £800. I’m expecting to spend a further £2k – £3k on hotels and flights.
@ Idemo – I see what you mean, I figured it would be tough to make all 3 games. Either way I’m sure it’s going to be a good time.
@ NK Susak – I have a few Russian buddies who told me more or less the same thing. Unless you’re in St Petersburg, Moscow or Sochi area where it’s warmer, the other parts of the country aren’t worth seeing if you’re there for soccer and expensive. I was wondering if anyone is going down for all 3 games but we’ll see. The drive was 15 to 20 hours/flights were 4-5 hours to each city Cro plays in. It makes sense why Idemo is going down for the 1 game.
Yea, I don’t watch any NBA, MLB or MLS games live.
These North American sports experiences suck, and add to the fact that there are like 100 games per year for each of these leagues (with decent tickets costing you at least 100 bucks or more) it’s better to just watch on TV and spend your money on REAL sports games.
Even though I don’t watch NFL, I respect it for keeping the regular season game totals very low at 16 games. It really adds to the importance of each game. You literally have players in the NBA taking games off (or on season-long minutes restrictions) and you have MLB “rivalries” where the two rival teams meet like 15 times in a season, lol. Not much of an intense rivalry when you see each other several times every month.
Save you cash try and go to a World Cup or Euro if you can. Awesome experience.
Honestly, I’ve been to a couple Dinamo vs Hajduk games and even some higher profile National Team friendlies (Cro vs Brazil in Split) and I put those games ahead of any of the MLB/NBA/NHL/MLS games I’ve been to as well.
@croatianperson85
was trying my hardest to make all 3 games in June as well and the shear size of Russia is a pain in the cock making it almost impossible without spending a ton of money. you basically need to fly to all cities and with a field of 32 teams, there are extra days between games which leads to extra nights in overpriced hotels. I work with a guy from Russia and he keeps telling me to stay away because of how ass backwards the infrastructure is and corruption is rampant.
To any of yous going, im jealous. Ive yet to see them play at a WC. Ive seen them at the Euros and qualifiers, and since im in the States, ill be at both games in Miami and Dallas. Not my first choice but it will have to do. Unless youre gonna lose your house, job, or wife (notice the order), go see the repka in person, any chance you get. Ive been to super bowls, BCS Bowl games, and a Stanley Cup game, and nothing compares to watching the Vatreni live.
Wish I was following but will only go to one game; prob Argentina then bck to cro
Nice Idemo! Where you staying? We play Nigeria in Kailiningrad (between Poland and Lithuania) Argentina in Nizhny Novogorod (Western Russia) and Iceland in Rostov (close to South East Ukraine). Just curious because my buddies were saying there’s a shit ton of traveling and St. Petersburg was one of the nicer cities so they didn’t want to stay in one of the surrounding cities to the games. Maybe they’re soft.
Each game is 15 to 20 hours apart. Not trying to ruin the party, just curious as to how you’re making it happen and how expensive it is.
We should be playing a good sub-Saharan African team. Senegal or Ghana if they can organize it.
Boys I’m going to Russia
We def don’t really need to play anything for Iceland prep
If we don’t know them by now forget bout it
Really do we need to play Mexico? Prob not but suker needs the dough if he wants to make a new stadium
What bout Uruguay wouldn’t they be similar to Argentina? Brazil tho would be sweet
Would be cool if we could organize one of the games just for the subs/potential guys?
Here’s a question for u guys. Do u think it’s better for the subs to play a game as a B team or try to fit them with the A squad to make them gel? Obviously our core is pretty well gelled right now but I can never decide which is the better route for the friendlies
I’m just praying a guy like krama gets super hot for just one tourney…after that I couldn’t care if he scores another goal for us
Toronto Croatia, that would be incredible brother! We need to play the best teams possible leading to Russia. I would love to play Gana Instead of Peru.
Where is the African team? Who said Senegal? That might have been on extra time
@bz
Doubt it that’s old Olympic style multiple purpose
If it’s soccer specific chances are very slim of a running track
Rumours that Croatia might play Brazil in a friendly?
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/croatia-to-play-brazil-at-stamford-bridge-or-anfield.html
Ugh. The running track.
Since it will used strictly for football, I would expect there to be no track… But I can still see them wanting to put a buffer between the fans and the field (similar to the way Maksimir is).
Hoping they don’t do that, and simply go with the mesh “net” wall that prevents fans from launching objects at the goalkeeper.
Let’s hope there is no running track between the fans and the field.
I wonder how many of suker cousins gonna get some over paying contracts on this one lol
Well none the less hope they do it to finally get a proper pitch
(Visions of Kosovo game still fresh in minds)