Although we write and talk about the world's most spectacular stadiums every week, sometimes you need to look deeper. Today we will focus on Serbia. The southern European country has recently commissioned three stadiums and still other venues are about to see the light of day.

There are as many as 29 stadiums from Serbia in our database, and we have recently added three new venues. These are Gradski stadion Dubočica, Fudbalski stadion Lagator and Stadion Kraljevica. How did their construction go, when did they open and what makes them stand out? In addition, what arenas will be built in the future? See for yourself!

Three new stadiums in Serbia

Gradski stadion Dubočica was inaugurated on August 21. However, plans for the construction of a new stadium in Leskovac had already been made in 2018. The facility was to be built on the site of the existing city stadium (stadion pod Hisarom), with the pitch shifted slightly towards the east. The new arena is an incomparably more modern facility than its predecessor.

From the outside, the stands are shielded by a distinctive golden façade, whose shape is somewhat reminiscent of that of the National Stadium in Warsaw. It meets the requirements of UEFA Category 4 and is suitable for the organisation of matches at the highest national level, as well as European cup matches and national teams.

© BATPAVA

Fudbalski stadion Lagator, on the other hand, opened less than three months after the Leskovac facility. The concept for the new football stadium in Loznica was created in 2019. Its construction was scheduled to be completed in February 2023. There were some problems during the works, including flooding of the rooms of the stadium under construction and bacteria infesting the turf.

Architecturally, the row of columns supporting the upper tier of the stands draws attention. The division of the relatively low stands into two tiers is also interesting. The roof, on the other hand, although symmetrical, is not standard. The new facility should serve the local club for years to come, although the challenge will certainly be to make the most of it. A few months before its opening, FK Loznica was relegated to the third tier of the league competition.

© DoubleEspresso

Stadion Kraljevica is the final stop on our short Serbia tour. The facility was inaugurated the day after the opening of the Loznica stadium, and among those present at the ceremony were many well-known personalities from the world of sport and politics, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.

Stadion Kraljevica has a rectangular, football-specific layout, with the pitch laid out in a north-south orientation. Floodlighting masts stand at the four corners of the stadium. The building is topped with a white, glossy façade that merges with the roof into a single unit and gives the stadium an elegant appearance. The facility was built on a slightly sloping site, hence the northern part of the entrance promenade is on an elevation. On a day-to-day basis, the stadium is used by the local club FK Timok, although it plays in the... fourth tier competition.

© Dragan Stojanović

More stadium projects in Serbia

During a tour of the newly built stadiums, in the company of UEFA president Aleksandar Čeferin, the Serbian president said that one of the main plans for the future is the national stadium in Belgrade, which will be completed by December 1, 2026. Vucic also stated that once this facility is built, the European Cup final could be organised there. He went on to add that facilities in Niš and Kragujevac remain to be redeveloped, as well as Belgrade's Partizan and Crvena Zvezda stadiums, which, he said, "need to be more modern". A stadium in Vranje is also in the plans.

Construction of the arena in the latter location was due to start in April 2021, but was postponed due to the pandemic. The authorities stressed that the Stadion Vranje project was not abandoned, but the start of work was rescheduled to another date. Over the past few years, there have been disputes with residents, who feared that the planned development would significantly reduce the green space in the area.

In terms of stadiums, Serbia is definitely one of the leaders among the Balkan countries. The designs, although often modest, are still impressive and make Serbian football even more developed. We shared a video about Serbian stadium projects on our YouTube channel some time ago. Let us know in the comments which project you like best!