Slavia Prague, one of the most successful football clubs in the Czech Republic, is considering expanding the capacity of its stadium, Eden, to accommodate 32,000 spectators. This news was revealed by the club’s chairman, Jaroslav Tvrdík, in a recent podcast.
Tvrdík also indirectly confirmed that the club has been purchased by one of the wealthiest Czechs for nearly two billion Czech koruna. The previous owners of Slavia Prague were the Chinese group CITIC Group. Tvrdík emphasized that if the club changes its goals and the new owner does not meet his expectations, he has the right to dismiss and replace him. However, he stated that he intends to lead the club for another five years.
The chairman praised the commitment of Jindřich Trpišovský, Slavia Prague’s head coach, and his assistant Zdeněk Houštecký. He mentioned that discussions about Trpišovský potentially joining the Czech national team were irrelevant as all three parties agreed to dedicate their professional lives to the future of Slavia Prague.
Tvrdík also mentioned that Tykač, the new owner of Slavia Prague, has declared that he will never sell the club. Although he did not disclose the exact amount Tykač paid to acquire the club from Sev.en Energy, an energy and coal company, Tvrdík confirmed that the speculated figure of approximately two billion Czech koruna is close to the truth. He believes that the deal is a win-win situation, as the seller is satisfied with the financial return and the buyer is confident in further developing the club.
Regarding the stadium expansion, Tvrdík stated that increasing the capacity to 32,000 is still a realistic option. He believes that this could be achieved within the next five years. However, filling the stadium with such a large number of fans for every match would be a significant challenge. Tvrdík sees this as an opportunity for the entire club, football, and marketing, as well as for the fans to increase their attendance at Slavia Prague matches. He also mentioned that the stadium reconstruction could potentially take place without closing it down.
