On Sunday night, Prime minister Viktor Orban presided over the opening of Groupama Aréna, Hungary’s first major new football stadium to be built in 60 years. The outcome of the match, (Ferencvárosi TC lost 2-1) may have been meaningless in footballing terms, but the event had unmistakable political significance. As the constitutional judge Georgi Markov told the Focus News Agency ”This is the third stadium Viktor Orbán will open in 2014 […]. It is obvious the Hungarian government’s policy in the field of sports is yielding results and will probably play a big role in the local elections, which will be held on October 12 this year.” The team was bought by the Hungarian state in 2011 from the owner of the English club Sheffield United and an MP from the ruling party Fidesz is currently the club chairman. The cost of construction is estimated to have run to HUF 13.8bn.
