WORLD CUP play-off winners Bosnia and Herzegovina have announced huge upgrades to their national stadium.
Starting this year, the Bilino Polje ground in Zenica will be reconstructed into a modern-looking 18,000-seater arena.
The Bosnian Football Association announced the plans to renovate the stadium today with a series of stunning images.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, who don’t have a permanent home ground at the moment, will play all their matches at the new and improved arena once reconstruction is complete.
The Balkan team have jumped between grounds across the country in the past, as no stadium in the capital Sarajevo meets strict international rules for top-level matches.
However once renovated, the new and improved Bilino Polje will be the permanent home of Bosnian football.
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It will belong to the elite category of stadiums according to FIFA and UEFA standards.
The stadium will have top facilities such as new dressing rooms for teams and referees, medical clinics for fans and players, anti-doping control rooms, media spaces, VIP boxes and a mixed zone.
New commercial areas will also be part of the many upgrades.
Behind the project is a team of experts from the “Aksa” design bureau from Zenica, led by architect Zvjezdan Turkic.
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The update, which was presented at today’s General Assembly of the Bosnian FA, comes after the Dragons qualified for their second-ever World Cup via the play-offs in March.
Sergej Barbarez‘s men beat Wales on penalties in Cardiff before overcoming four-time world champions Italy again via spot-kicks at the Bilino Polje – one Bosnian star promised to buy thousands of fans beers if they qualified.
Former Manchester City and Premier League winner Edin Dzeko, 40, will captain his nation in this summer’s tournament in North America.
Ex-Arsenal left-back Sead Kolasinac is also sure to be in the Bosnian squad.
It’s their first appearance on world football’s biggest stage since 2014, where Dzeko and co finished third in Group F.
The Bosnians return to the tournament in Group B – they will face Canada, Switzerland and Qatar in Toronto, Inglewood and Seattle.
