FK Dukla Prague has changed owners. The club was bought from billionaire and “coal baron” Petr Paukner by entrepreneur Matěj Turek, who has ambitious plans for his new acquisition. As the current Juliska Stadium no longer meets various requirements, one possible scenario is the construction of a new stadium.

The search for the perfect location is underway

Juliska Stadium, built in the summer of 1960, is outdated and underfunded – moreover, it is not owned by Dukla, but by the Army of the Czech Republic, and is also used daily by athletes from the military sports center. According to Turek, the most suitable solution would be the construction of a dedicated football stadium: It’s obvious to me that Dukla needs a football-specific stadium. I’m not ruling out building a new stadium on Juliska, but I don’t think it’s likely. It’ll probably be built elsewhere, said the entrepreneur.

Turek and his team are analyzing several possible locations – good transport accessibility is key. I’m not dogmatic – the stadium doesn’t have to be in Prague. Districts within Prague, such as Letňany and Kačerov, are also being considered – the latter even appears on the city’s planning maps as a potential stadium site.

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New stadium – details and costs

The current Juliska Stadium has a capacity of just over 8,000 seats, though it used to hold up to 29,000 spectators. The new stadium would hold around 20,000 fans, which Turek considers a reasonable figure. According to initial estimates, the investment could cost over 1 billion CZK. For Turek, however, obtaining permits for construction and use is more important than funding.

At present, Dukla struggles with low attendance – for example, only about 1,000 fans showed up for a match against Karviná. But Turek quotes a famous saying: If you build it, they will come. He points to the Bořislavka shopping center as an example – just five years ago there wasn’t a single restaurant there, and now it’s a lively hub. The same, he says, will happen with the new stadium.