Vučić's 28 Million Euro Stadium in Ruins: Barely Any Grass Left on Pitch

A state-of-the-art football stadium in Zaječar, Serbia, inaugurated with significant fanfare in 2023, is already showing alarming signs of neglect. The venue, which cost 28 million euros to build and was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and then-President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, is reportedly in a dire state, particularly its playing surface.

Recent images from a second-tier Serbian football match between Bor 1919 and Napredak highlighted the catastrophic condition of the pitch at the Kraljica stadium. Large sections of the field are devoid of grass, leading to questions about how the hybrid turf was destroyed and why the facility is not being maintained. The stadium, designed to meet UEFA standards and host European matches with a capacity of over eight thousand seats, appears to be falling into disuse just three years after its grand opening.

Sports media outlet Sportklub noted the significant problem with the pitch, stating, "We don't know what happened to the grass, hybrid surface, or what destroyed it, but we know there is a huge problem." This deterioration raises concerns about the overall upkeep of the stadium and whether other aspects of the facility are also suffering from a lack of regular maintenance. The substantial investment made in its construction seems to have failed to prevent its rapid decline.

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We don't know what happened to the grass, hybrid surface, or what destroyed it, but we know there is a huge problem.