Bonifika

Bonifika Stadium The ground has been here since the pitch was relaid in 1948, but it is only since the work was done in 2010 that the seating matches the architecture. The stands are tight against the grass, and the view from the terrace is clear of obstructions. Behind the far goal, the hill is covered in terracotta roofs, rising steeply from the edge of the parking area. The stadium does not have a record crowd that dwarfs the town’s population; the number stands at 10,500, set back in March 1987 for a match against NK Olimpija Ljubljana. That was the only time the place has looked like this, crowded and full to the brim.

FC Koper have played their home games here for seven decades, through every change of name and every shift in the league structure. They were not always the only tenants; NK Ankaran Hrvatini used the facilities in 2017 and 2019 when their own ground became unavailable. The stadium has hosted the Slovenia national team five times, including a friendly against Gibraltar in June 2021 that ended 6–0. The surface is natural grass, kept in good order despite the sea air that rolls in off the Adriatic. In July 1996, the stadium hosted a concert by Bryan Adams, a foreign event in a building that otherwise deals only with the local game.