The stadium has been discussed for 30 years: the reason for the new delay was named by the Riga City Council

The council member met with representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science to discuss the prospects of constructing a national football stadium. According to him, decision-making at the ministry level takes too much time: it is followed by additional studies and assessments, which also require funding and time. Bergholtz reminded that last autumn the Cabinet of Ministers created a special working group, but it has not yet made decisions on the location of the stadium, its financing, or other key issues. "The result is obvious — the project is not moving forward," he stated. The official noted that the need for a national football stadium has been discussed in Latvia for over 30 years, yet the facility has not materialized. In Bergholtz's opinion, at the current stage, state participation in the project is not necessary. **The stadium is proposed to be built by three parties** According to the expert's assessment, the project can be realized with the cooperation of the Latvian Football Federation (LFF), the Riga municipality, and a private investor. In such a format, the national stadium could be built within the next five years, in his opinion. One of the possible locations being considered is Skans, an area that is actively developing as a business, sports, and events center of the capital. The Riga City Council previously suggested further evaluating this area as a potential site for the stadium. However, there is still no final decision on the location of the construction. In April 2024, the Riga City Council transferred approximately 10 hectares of land on Lucavsala to the LFF for free use for a period of up to five years for the implementation of the national football stadium project. However, at the beginning of this year, another option emerged. The LFF signed a memorandum of understanding with Adventika Group regarding the acquisition of the Skonto stadium. This scenario involves the reconstruction of the existing stadium using the already available infrastructure. The project also anticipates cooperation with international football organizations UEFA and FIFA. The Secretary General of the LFF, Arturs Gaidels, previously confirmed that the federation continues to consider both options — the construction of a stadium on Lucavsala and the reconstruction of Skonto. One of the main criteria for selection will be the economic feasibility of each project.