HNK Rijeka president Damir Mišković plans to fully finance the construction of a new stadium at Kantrida and donate it to the City of Rijeka. The club would then use the venue under an agreement with the city.
Architect Siniša Zdjelar, who presented the project, emphasised the aim was to avoid a generic arena. “We ran away from the usual arena that could be built anywhere in the world.” Zdjelar said. The shell-like design follows the terrain and opens towards the sea, with special attention given to the northern stand traditionally occupied by the Armadi fan group.
The stadium's capacity is planned for between 12,000 and 15,000 spectators, with existing infrastructure allowing expansion to nearly 20,000 without a significant cost increase. The project includes a hotel with 150 to 200 rooms, adding tourist and business functionality to the complex. The stadium is intended as multi-purpose, available to citizens year-round. “This stadium, this arena must be available to citizens, whether for major exhibitions, events, concerts,” Zdjelar added.
This ambitious plan for a new home comes as the team competes in the HNL. HNK Rijeka currently sits 5th with 7 points from 4 matches, and in their last five games they have recorded three wins, one draw and one defeat.
The next fixture for the Whites is an away match against NK Slaven Belupo tomorrow, October 10th. The opponent is currently 9th, presenting an opportunity for Rijeka to strengthen their position. The full schedule of preparations and matches is available on fixtures. The team returns to league action after a draw with Lokomotiva and a win over Hajduk, with the season's top scorer being D. Adu-Adjei with four goals.
Read the full report at tportal.hr
