Stadion Balgarska Armia
Stadion Balgarska Armia (Bulgarian: Стадион „Българска Армия“, English: 'Balgarska Armia Stadium', lit. ''Bulgarian Army Stadium'') is the club stadium of the Bulgarian football club CSKA Sofia. It's situated in the Borisova gradina in the centre of Sofia. The stadium has four sectors and a total of 22,995 (18,495) seats,[1] of which 2,100 are covered. The pitch length is 106 meters and the width is 66 meters.[3]
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| Full name | Bulgarian Army Stadium |
|---|---|
| Former names | Atletik Park (1923–1944) Stadion Chavdar (1944–1948) Narodna Armia (1948–1990) Balgarska Armia (1990–) |
| Location | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Coordinates | 42°41′3.33″N 23°20′23.17″E |
| Owner | Ministry of Physical Education and Sport |
| Operator | CSKA Sofia |
| Capacity | 22 995 (18 495 seats)[1][2] |
| Field size | 105m x 68m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1965 |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Renovated | 1982, 1997, 2001, 2015, 2016 |
| Architect | Anton Karavelov, Simeon Ivanov |
| Tenants | |
| OSK AS-23 (1923–1944) Chavdar Sofia (1944–1948) CSKA Sofia (1948–) | |
The capacity of the stadium is divided in four sectors:
- Sector A: 6417 seats
- Sector B: 4889 seats
- Sector V: 5689 seats
- Sector G: 6000 (1500 seats[2])
The sports complex also includes tennis courts, a basketball court, and gymnastics facilities, as well the CSKA Sofia Glory Museum. The press conference room has 80 seats.
History
Built in 1923 for AS-23, the stadium was known as Athletic Park until 1944, when AS-23 merged with two other clubs to form Chavdar Sofia. From 1944 until 1948 it was called Chavdar Stadium. Between 1948 and 1990 it was the People's Army Stadium, and since 1990 it is the Balgarska Armia Stadium. The current structure was built by architect Anton Karavelov in the period between 1965 and 1967 on the old grounds of AS-23. It was reconstructed again in 1982, which included the introduction of floodlights.
In 2000, the stadium was equipped with a new Dynacord surround sound system, capable of 48 kilowatts and 107 decibels. The electric lighting is also of the latest generation and is covering the pitch with 2100 lux.
