After a long decade of waiting, MFK Kosice supporters may await development of a new 9,000-capacity stadium. Groundbreaking is expected in the coming months.

It’ll be 10 years this July since MFK Kosice president Blažej Podolák first announced that building a new stadium is priority. Since then there were three various concepts presented and yet none of them went further than rendering phase.

Situation should change this year, according to Pluska.sk. Procedures to enable groundbreaking are already launched, like the environmental impact analysis. The investment still needs to be approved by departments of construction, environment and traffic infrastructure. And, of course, by the local council.

The project will be implemented by a subsidiary of the city (85% shares) and MFK Kosice (15%) and is expected to cost roughly €15 million ($17m). Of that amount €4 million will be covered by Slovakia’s central budget with another subsidy planned.

If groundbreaking comes this year, new steel stands in rectangular layout will be ready in 2017. The stadium will offer roof to all spectators, it should also have heated pitch.

Initial concept, from 2005:

Second attempt, 2009:

Latest, smallest and closest to the one awaiting implementation: