The City Stadium in Brčko, construction of which began back in 2004, has been the main challenge for the local community for years. Although initially planned for 16 thousand spectators, only the western stand with a capacity of 6.5 thousand seats is currently in place. The stadium was supposed to become the heart of sports events and a gathering place for citizens, but reality is far from that ambitious vision.
Reconstruction works on the City Stadium have been ongoing for 20 years, with millions invested. Citizens we surveyed are disappointed with the prolonged construction and deterioration of the stadium despite significant investments, which further frustrates them.
I absolutely believe that with the budget and population Brčko has, it should have a city stadium and a club playing on it. The fact that it's been under construction for 20 years is enough to say something that could be done in a few years.
There have been promises several times that it will be finished, but no action is taken.
It should have been finished earlier when it started, and even what has been done is quite damaged now, and it will be more expensive to continue working on it.
Despite the long-awaited completion of the works, the City Stadium is currently not even safe for running, which poses a problem for many citizens who come daily for recreational sports.
It's sad to see this grass overgrown, with no one taking care of it. The authorities in Brčko, the mayor, or someone should at least mow this, tidy it up. It's not possible that there's no investment or money to mow this, at least to tidy it up. Even if matches are not played, at least do that.
IZUDIN HASANOVIĆ, Ultramarathon runner
Opposition blames the government for the current situation, claiming that they are responsible not only for the lack of a stadium but also for the closure of many sports clubs.
This is a shame, we can't see the end of stadium construction. We've witnessed that we've led to the closure of many sports collectives, even the football club “Jedinstvo” which used to be the host at that stadium.
BORO RISTIĆ, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY IN THE ASSEMBLY OF BRČKO DISTRICT OF BIH
Millions of convertible marks sit in accounts, not being invested due to complicated public procurement laws, but also due to bidders who, when they win a certain job through bidding, cannot realize it.
SENAD OSMANOVIĆ, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PARTY OF DEMOCRATIC ACTION (SDA) IN THE ASSEMBLY OF BRČKO DISTRICT OF BIH
Currently, work is underway on the fifth phase of the project, which includes the arrangement of the stadium's exterior, such as facade works, carpentry, and parking. This phase is crucial for the stadium to be at least partially usable. However, there is concern that problems hindering construction could arise again.
The problem is that contractors do not meet the deadline specified in the tender, and it happens that the process of penalty provisions passes, and then we have to terminate the contract. The penalty provisions for the last time were around 350 thousand penalties, and a bank guarantee of 760 thousand was withdrawn.
MIRNES ZELENJAKOVIĆ, EXPERT IN PUBLIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The deadline for completing the fifth phase is 13 months, but given past experiences, nothing is certain. After that, the sixth phase follows, which, if everything goes according to plan, could last at least 15 months. In the best case scenario, the stadium could be completed in two years, by 2027. However, there are many uncertainties and possible obstacles. Time will tell whether the City Stadium in Brčko will finally be completed or whether the saga of its construction will continue indefinitely.
