In the last four years, six stadiums have been restored or built from scratch in Romania: Ceahlaul Piatra-Neamt (2007), CFR Cluj (2008), Poli Timisoara (2008), Arena Nationala, Cluj Arena and Petrolul Ploiesti this year. They cost a combined EUR300 million.
How close have these investments brought the country to hosting a European championship, given that Romania and Bulgaria have announced a possible intention to host the 2020 cup together? Looking at the stadiums built in Poland and Ukraine in the last few years, in expectation of Euro 2012, makes it clear something like this will not happen very soon.
The eight venues hosting next year’s UEFA championship have all been built or thoroughly renovated in 2009-2011 and seat at least 35,000 people each, a requirement currently met in Romania only by the National Arena in Bucharest. Cluj Arena and Timisoara’s stadium have close to this capacity, but the arenas in Piatra-Neamt, Ploiesti and Cluj-Napoca’s other stadium – Dr. Constantin Radulescu – are too small for such an event. In addition, although recently restored and having hosted European matches, Timisoara’s venue lacks the design of a modern arena: only 5% of its seats are roof-covered and the stands are far from the pitch.
What other options are there?
The largest stadium outside Bucharest is the one in Craiova (40,000 seats), but it has severely deteriorated, matching the decline of FC Universitatea Craiova. Mayor Antonie Solomon said last week that he intends to tear down the current stadium and build a new one, according to ProSport. However, work would take at least three years and the project has no design or financing at the moment.
Building a second large stadium in Bucharest is unlikely and hosting an event of this size requires stadiums in eight different cities. Considering the venues used by matches in local League I, hosting a European championship without a partnership with a neighboring state is impossible. Ukraine will take part in next year’s championship, so Romania’s northern neighbors will sit out the next three-four editions. This leaves Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria as potential partners, but Romania’s relations with these three states have not been the best in the last ten years.
The 2016 championship, which will be hosted by France, also received bids from Italy and Turkey. Offers for the 2020 championship were received from, among others, three “consortiums:” Romania and Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Ireland and Wales. The final offers and winners will be selected in 2014; many things can change by that time, for both the better and worse.
Airports, roads and six more stadiums
Such an event requires at least two more stadiums north of the Danube and four more to the south, since Bulgaria has not built modern arenas in the past 20 years.
In addition, the event would need a highway connecting Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara and the Hungarian border, investment in airports other than Henri Coanda (Otopeni) and the excellent organization of the Europe League final next year in Bucharest.
Is Romania up to this challenge? 2012 is an election year and priorities can change depending on the new government. The current administration has not stated whether a project to support a joint bid for the Euro 2020 with Bulgaria is an objective. Organizing a championship without a hitch could either eliminate once and for all or worsen the “perceptions” that have kept Romania outside the Schengen Area for another year.
Romania’s venues:
Ceahlaul Piatra-Neamt
Capacity: 18,000 seats
Renovated: 2007
CFR Cluj
Capacity: 23,500 seats
Renovated: 2008
Poli Timisoara
Capacity: 32,000 seats
Renovated: 2008
Arena Nationala
Capacity: 55,000 seats
Completed: 2011
Cluj Arena
Capacity: 30,000 seats
Completed: 2011
Petrolul Ploiesti
Capacity: 14,350 seats
Completed: 2011
Poland’s venues:
National Stadium, Warsaw
Capacity: 58.000 seats
To be completed: November 2011
PGE Arena Gdansk
Capacity: 44.000 seats
Completed: 2011
Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw
Capacity: 43.000 seats
Completed: 2011
Municipal Stadium, Poznan
Capacity: 44.000 seats
Completed: 2011
Ukraine’s venues:
Donbass Arena Donetsk
Capacity: 50.000 seats
Completed: 2009
Metalist Stadium Harkov
Capacity: 40.000 seats
Renovated: 2009
Olympic Stadium, Kiev
Capacity: 60.000 seats
Completed: October 8, 2011
Lviv New Stadium
Capacity: 35.000 seats
To be completed: October 29, 2011
(English version by Radu Bostan)