Viktorka Žižkov has reached an agreement to lease the stadium for 30 years! But there’s a catch

Prague 3 will lease the stadium in Seifert Street to FK Viktoria Žižkov for 30 years for a crown per year. The Prague 3 councillors approved this at their meeting on Tuesday. But there is a catch. The club cannot play lower than in the third league.

The contract

The contract also includes a right of first refusal for the club in case the district decides to sell the stadium during the lease. The condition is that the stadium continues to perform its current function, otherwise the municipality can unilaterally terminate the contract.

The club will also have to stay in the second or at least third football league. With regard to the pre-emption right, according to earlier information, the Prague City Council will also have to approve the contract.

Viktoria is currently in last place in the FNL with only ten points and saving this competition will not be easy.

The contract gives the management of the Žižkov football club peace of mind. “We have gained the security of a home and much-needed facilities. For this I would like to sincerely thank everyone who voted in favour. Now we can fully concentrate on the sporting side and the main task that awaits us in the spring, which is to save the second league,” said Viktorka co-owner Milan Richter.

Jiří Ptáček, the mayor of the district, let it be known that the fate of football in Žižkov no longer depends on the stadium, but on Viktoria’s sporting performance. “If Viktoria stops doing well, drops out of the second or third league, the contract will end. Viktorka, it’s in your hands now. My fingers are crossed,” said Jiří Ptáček, the mayor of Prague 3.

Owners

Last January, Viktoria Žižkov was bought by businessman Martin Louda. He tried to persuade the town hall to sell the stadium to him on the grounds that he wanted to renovate it and eventually build a new modern sports facility there. However, the town hall did not agree to Louda’s conditions.

After this failure, he sold the club’s shares to the chairman of the board of directors of FK Viktoria Žižkov, Milan Richter, and a member of the board, Jiří Rýva.

After the change of owners, the town hall agreed with the club on a long-term lease of the stadium. The contract, approved on Tuesday, provides for a 30-year lease for a symbolic rent and a CZK 25 million investment by the city district in reconstruction by the end of this year. The club will maintain the stadium at its own expense, which the previous owner refused to do.

Sources: Pražská drbna