Milliy Stadioni – stadium description

In 2008 one of the most important venues in Uzbekistan – MHSK Stadioni – was closed for complete rebuilding. After having dismantled the old structure, renowned contractor Max Boegl of Germany started working on the basis for a new 34,000-seat football specific stadium. Its original shape was designed by GMP Architekten, also from Germany.

Plans were to develop the ground for Uzbekistani new football superpower, FC Bunyodkor. However, the new club – associated with president’s daughter and her financial backers Zeromax – soon got in trouble with Zeromax announcing bankruptcy. This slowed the project down a lot and brought a risk that neither any facades, nor the roof would be built.

However, as Uzbekistan was due to host FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in 2012, authorities restarted work on the building in 2011, awarding the remaining works to Austrian Oberhofer Stahlbau. Despite extremely fast design and construction process the venue was not delivered in time to satisfy FIFA. The tournament was transferred to Japan long before the venue was finished and so official opening took place in late August 2012, with the World Cup a week from ending.