April 12 – Bulgaria’s Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Botev Plovdiv have received government grants totalling BGN 75 million (€35.7 million), to complete construction of their stadiums.
The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) made public the amounts and the conditions around the loans on the last day of Bulgaria’s ruling cabinet, before the country’s administration was taken over by a caretaker government.
The funds will be allocated under a program for financing municipal projects.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv will receive BGN 41 million (€20.5 million) from the state budget, while Botev Plovdiv has been allocated BGN 33.6 million (€16.8 million) for its Hristo BotevStadium (pictured right).
This is not the first time that the two Plovdiv clubs have received funding to build their stadiums.
In 2020, the state allocated BGN 37 million (€18.5 million) for the two stadiums, of which BGN 25 million (€12.5 million) went to Botev and BGN 12 million (€6 million) to Lokomotiv. After that, the price of both stadiums increased several times, and the Municipality of Plovdiv secured another 12 million BGN (€6 million) loan for each of the projects.
In February 2023, the Municipality of Plovdiv allocated another BGN 32.7 million (€16.35 million) for the two stadiums, to be distributed over three years. Even then, however, it was announced that money would be sought from the state.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1714044059labto1714044059ofdlr1714044059owedi1714044059sni@o1714044059fni1714044059