Chisinau plans advance

The Moldovan government is planning to build a new national stadium in the capital city Chisinau, which will meet all the standards set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA.

Commission to be set up
Moldovan news agencies have reported that president Vladimir Voronin has proposed that a governmental commission will be set up on 20 May to coordinate the construction process of the new stadium.

Kristya to head commission
The following day the government will select an 18-man commission that will have 15 days to prepare and present a plan of action. The head of the commission will be Moldovan vice-premier Valerian Kristya with other members set to include Serghei Kornetski (the general director of the youth and sport department), Pavel Chebanu (Moldovan Football Association president) and Nicolae Zhuravski (president of the Moldovan Olympic Committee).

Tiraspol stadium
Moldova's current major sports arena is the Republican Stadium, which does not meet international requirements. The only stadium that does is in Tiraspol, in the territory of Transdniestria which is not controlled by the Moldovan authorities. When Moldova recently played a UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying match against the Netherlands in Tiraspol it was their first ever home game to be played outside of Chisinau.

Rebuilding work
In the last couple of years, several stadiums have been built or renovated in Moldova. The new sports complex in Tiraspol and the training camp for the Moldovan national team in Vadul-lui-Voda were both built last year while CSF Zimbru Chisinau are in the process of reconstructing their stadium.