Stadion Grbavica, football stadium
Stadion Grbavica is a football ground in the Sarajevo neighbourhood of Grbavica, home of FK Željezničar. Its four stands form a continuous oval of blue seats around the pitch, under a flat roof canopy on a white framework. Two lattice floodlight towers with rectangular light arrays stand at the left and right ends, and city buildings and hills are visible beyond the stands.
The stadium opened in 1953 after construction began in 1949 to give FK Željezničar a permanent home ground. During the 1990s war, it suffered severe damage including fires to the wooden stands, but returned to use in 1996 with the first post-conflict match helping to mark the community's recovery.
The nickname Dolina ćupova, Valley of Jars, is used by FK Željezničar fans, but the sources do not explain its origin. The east stand, opened on 1 April 2017, was funded entirely by club supporters and local businesses; fans bought ten-year passes and former players such as Edin Džeko donated. United States midfielder Mix Diskerud bought 50 seats for the north stand.
The stadium is easily accessible by public transportation including buses and trams running nearby. Arriving early on match days allows time to find parking, purchase food and drinks, and settle into your seat before the game begins.
The ground's nickname, Dolina ćupova (Valley of Jars), comes from its position in a hollow of the Grbavica neighbourhood. During the eight-year closure from 1968 to 1976, Željezničar won the 1971–72 Yugoslav First League title while playing home games at rival Sarajevo's Koševo Stadium. The first match after the war was the local derby, played in 1996.
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