Kosicka futbalova arena

White seats fill the tiers in a tight block, while the opposite side remains open to the sky. The surface is natural grass, a mix of meadow fescue that matches the colour of the yellow banners held out on the centre circle during a match day.

FK Košice moved into the stadium after a long pause in their history. The first phase of work finished in early 2022, bringing back a smaller crowd of around 5,800 spectators. The team played their first games there under a grey sky, with the new concrete still looking fresh against the distant hills. The second phase of construction added more seats over the following years, bringing the total capacity to 12,555. The extra rows sit behind the original structure, blending in with the existing white pelmets.

The location places the arena away from the city centre, sitting near the edge of town where the land flattens out. The wind comes straight across the open end, which has been known to ruin any passing game on a particularly blustery afternoon. The grounds are surrounded by a mix of industrial buildings and residential blocks, visible just beyond the advertising hoardings. A large yellow flag hangs from the roof of the covered stand, fluttering in the breeze even when the stands are half empty.

There are plans to add new training pitches nearby, funded by the local authority. The main arena already has its own website, and the name has not changed since the doors opened. It is not the largest ground in the country, nor the oldest, but it sits in Košice as a reminder of what happens when a city chooses to invest rather than walk away. The concrete is hard, the seats are plastic, and the grass cuts easily under the boots. That is enough.