FC Viktoria Pilsen
The deluxe model of the DOOSAN Arena was the first stadium in the world to be made entirely of Czech crystal. Its handmade production took a whole month. The stadium is made in real colors and, among other things, it consists of 6,600 crystal stones, and the mere gluing of chaton roses, which represent filled crowds and the playing area, took more than 40 hours.
This model was primarily made as a gift for rivals during the last participation of Victoria Pilsen in the Champions League, wherein 2018 it clashed with Spartak Moscow, AS Rome, and Real Madrid.
Opened: 1955
Last reconstruction: 2011
Capacity: 11,700
Club establishment: 1911
The stadium of Viktoria Pilsen got a brand new look in 2011. The athletic stadium in Štrunc Park, in function from 1955, was replaced by the modern Doosan Arena. As many people know, the stadium has hosted in its relatively short history many interesting matches...
The two-tier stand, typical for the stadium in Pilsen, used to be one of the best stands in Czechoslovakia. The stadium could accommodate up to 35,000 spectators, which was demonstrated by high attendance in the 1961/62 season when the attendance record was set in a match against Dukla Prague.
The penultimate reconstruction of the Stadium in Štrunc Park took place in 2003 during the “Ligové stadiony” (League Stadiums) project and the capacity was reduced to 7,425. However, the arena was gradually falling into disrepair, it looked old and unsightly. A complete reconstruction that would create a purely football stadium was inevitable. The old stadium received the best goodbye present – celebration of the first league title for Pilsen.
The crucial reconstruction, which began in April 2011, involved dismantling the stands and removing the athletic track. After this, it was possible to move the pitch closer to the main stand, the only one that remained. Old stands were replaced by new and modern ones, increasing the capacity to 11,700. After the reconstruction, the famous stand named Brána borců (the Athlete’s Gate), originally situated opposite the main seating area, found itself outside the stadium behind the newly built east stand.
As early as July 2011, with the stands still being constructed, Pilsen hosted the second leg of the Champions League second qualifying round. The first match at the completed Doosan Arena was held in February 2012. In spring 2013, the main seating area was reconstructed, and during the 2014/2015 winter break, the remaining part of the south stand was finished. The whole stadium was not fully completed until 2016 when two towers were erected in the two empty corners adjacent to the main stand.
All stands have equally distributed blue and red seats. The main seating areas are also decorated with white seats writing the year of the club establishment on one side and the name of the club on the other side of the stadium.
With Pilsen being the fourth biggest city in the Czech Republic, the capacity of Doosan Arena could have been a couple of thousand seats higher. The stadium is sufficient for Czech league matches, but it appears to be too small during European competitions.
