Appeal: "Asim Ferhatović Hase" Stadium Needs Complete Reconstruction

The official website of Football Club Sarajevo published an article about the Olympic Stadium "Asim Ferhatović-Hase", which has been the home of the "Bordo" club for several decades.

Besides the "Bordo" club, the BiH national team also hosted world national teams, and the following text explains the current condition of this stadium, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

-    Koševo is a true bastion of sport. Every weekend, hundreds of boys from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina gather there and on its auxiliary fields to compete in their skills. Unfortunately, the current state of the Olympic Stadium "Asim Ferhatović-Hase" is not satisfactory. All fans of Football Club Sarajevo were truly shocked when club officials stated in media appearances that Sarajevo would not be able to play at home if it qualified for the group stage of an international competition – the text states.

The stadium does not meet the necessary infrastructural criteria for hosting matches in the most important football competitions on the old continent. Lack of adequate space for the media, uncovered stands, and problems with supplying water to the pitch are just some of the issues faced by organizers of international matches at Koševo. Although some investments are being made in the stadium, a permanent solution lies in its complete reconstruction.

Football Club Sarajevo, the city of Sarajevo, the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the "A" national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina need a modern and new stadium. Besides the infrastructural significance and the secure possibility of playing international matches, football as a sport is one of our country's greatest ambassadors. A modern stadium would further enhance the reputation of Bosnian-Herzegovinian football among opponents and other national teams – the text states, emphasizing that Koševo is known for sports and that the phased reconstruction of the stadium could proceed without any problems, alongside regular sports activities at the stadium.

The absence of a stadium in the capital of BiH that meets the criteria of football associations is a problem for the entire BiH society and state, especially considering that our national football team participated in the World Cup in Brazil.

As a reminder, the "Asim Ferhatović-Hase" stadium hosted the Balkan Athletics Games in 1966, the Olympic Games in 1984, thousands of matches, and concerts with tens of thousands of spectators in the stands. We should not forget that it survived the aggression against BiH, and whether it will survive the negligent attitude of the competent structures will be seen in the coming period.