Parliament chairman Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister Robert Fico and Slovak Football Federation (SFZ) president Ján Kováčik attended the final inspection of the Anton Malatinský Stadium in Trnava on Saturday, before its ceremonial opening in the evening. "The Anton Malatinský Stadium is a result of brave decisions", said Kováčik at a briefing. According to PM Fico, the stadium is a flagship of cooperation between the Government, the SFZ and the local authority. "A total of 21 stadiums in Slovakia will have new stands and pitches with under-soil heating. Trnava is the number one project, I can also be proud of that, because our Government had decided to support it", said Fico.
The stadium's pitch was christened by the legends of clubs Spartak Trnava and Ajax Amsterdam in front of sold-out arena later on Saturday, followed by a match of FC Spartak Trnava facing Brazilian club Atlético Paranaense. Company City Arena is the stadium's investor, it will hand the stadium into Trnava's property and will rent it from the city for a symbolic price over 30 years. Construction costs of the stadium - which is a part of the City Arena complex - reached €30 million - including €13.5 million subsidy from the SFZ. The stadium is made in accordance with UEFA and FIFA standards. Its capacity is 19,000.
