The stadium on Piłsudskiego Street can hold just over 18,000 fans. Getting a ticket for certain matches is nearly impossible, and season tickets sell out within moments. Currently, everyone in Łódź knows it's too small and hinders the club's potential for growth.

They didn't believe analyses

Widzew's stadium was completed in 2017. Several years before the decision to build it, an external company conducted thorough analyses to determine the attendance potential for both Łódź clubs and, consequently, the necessary stadium sizes. Luckily, you don't have to analyze anything; check out the Break Away Deluxe Demo and enjoy the best offers. The conclusions suggested that Widzew supporters required a capacity of 30,000 to 35,000. For ŁKS, a stadium accommodating around 12,000 to 15,000 fans would suffice.

Unfortunately, these analyses had no impact on the city authorities' final decisions, and Widzew ended up with a stadium precisely for 18,018 seats, costing around 138 million złoty. The previous venue, where they played their matches, had a capacity of around 14,000 seats, but it was rarely filled; the average attendance was about 8,000, even when playing in the top league. The new stadium and the revived Widzew attracted a large number of fans, almost as predicted by the earlier commissioned analyses. However, the stadium is not elastic, and many interested fans cannot get tickets.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak

Owner is in favor

The topic of expanding the Heart of Łódź returns like a boomerang, reignited by the phenomenal turnout of Widzew fans at the away match against Ruch Chorzów. Almost 20,000 Widzew supporters showed up at the Śląski Stadium, exceeding the capacity of their home ground. It pains me that Widzew cannot host more fans at their own stadium than those traveling hundreds of kilometers to Chorzów, said club owner Tomasz Stamirowski to Gazeta Wyborcza.

Stamirowski also emphasized that the club's position has been consistent for years – Widzew should have a larger stadium. He calls for new analyses and preparation of an expansion plan. Even during the stadium's construction, there was a lack of foresight that a larger facility might be needed in the future. The will for stadium expansion must come from its owner; our stance on this matter is clear, he insists.

© Widzew Łódź

Is expanding current venue impossible?

The topic of expanding Widzew's stadium was also addressed by Jarosław Bińczyk in his columns in Łódzkie Sport. The biggest mistake – in my opinion – was made during the stadium's design. Currently, significant enlargement is not feasible because the foundations are too weak (simplified) and cannot support another tier.

This opinion is supported by architect Jacek Ferdzyn, who designed the Widzew Stadium: It's four stands integrated into one structure. It's difficult to make substantial alterations. At most, we could add one or two more tiers, but that would only increase capacity by a thousand viewers. Enlarging it to 30,000 is simply impossible.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak