Football on “infusions” from the local budget! The new stadium “swallows” 5 times more money than it produces
Article by Andrei Crăiţoiu – Published on Thursday, 05 March 2026, 23:19 / Updated on Thursday, 05 March 2026 23:19
Two years after its inauguration, the Municipal Stadium in Sibiu begins to tell its story not only through matches, full stands or football evenings, but also through numbers. And the figures show a common reality for almost all modern stadiums in Romania: the revenues are far from covering the costs.
Every year, the arena in Sibiu generates revenues of several hundred thousand lei. At the same time, however, its operation costs four to five times more. The difference is covered from the local budget, in a logic that the administration explains simply: the stadium is not a business, but a public infrastructure.
In Sibiu, the stadium is thought of as an investment for the city's sports. For football, athletics or boxing, but also as a space for community events and activities.
“We emphasize that in the case of public objectives, such as the Sibiu stadium, profitability is not pursued, but their sustainability from own revenues to the best extent possible. The purpose of the public objectives is to generate benefits for the community, through the infrastructure and services made available”, says the municipality for Gazeta Sporturilor.
The first years in numbers for the stadium in Sibiu
The Sibiu Municipal Stadium was put into use in December 2022. And the first full year of operation was 2023. In the case of the arena, all investments and expenses are borne by the Sibiu City Hall “as support for Sibiu performance sports, football, athletics, boxing, etc.”, as stated in a response to GSP.RO.
But let's see how the balance sheet looks for the period 2023-2025.
2023
- income: 785,000 lei
- expenses: 3,728,000 lei
- The stadium recorded revenues of 157,000 euros “as a result of its use for official matches and training, the athletics track, but also other spaces within the premises, for events”.
- The expenses totaled almost 750,000 euros, representing utility expenses, installation and equipment maintenance services, security services, cleaning services, lawn maintenance materials, other materials and services necessary for the smooth operation of the activity.
2024
- income: 715,000 lei
- expenses: 3,233,000 lei
- It could have been the first year in the red if the arena's old turf wasn't replaced.
- The expenses were lower than a year ago, but the investment in the hibird turf cost 620,000 euros. Otherwise, the expenses would have totaled approximately 30,000 euros.
2025
- income: 897,000 lei
- expenses: 3,813,000 lei
- Revenues were higher, but so were expenses much higher. Sibiu City Hall notes that this increase “was generated by the significant increase in the price of electricity and gas as a result of market liberalization, as well as the increase in the VAT rate starting on August 1, 2025, which influenced the cost of services.”
Where does the arena revenue money come from?
Stadium revenues come from several sources, but the most important are directly related to sports activity. The arena is used for:
- official football matches
- team training
- use of the athletics track
- renting spaces for events
In practice, the stadium functions as a multifunctional sports complex. In addition to matches, the infrastructure is also used for training or community sports activities. Even so, revenues remain relatively limited. In the period 2023-2025, the stadium in Sibiu produced only 480,000 euros!
Stadionul Municipal Sibiu is a multi-purpose stadium in Sibiu, Romania, which mainly serves as the home stadium of the football team FC Hermannstadt. The facility can also be used for a variety of other activities such as track and field events
description of the arena on Hermannstadt's website
Why does it cost so much to have a five star stadium
The operating expenses of a modern stadium are much higher than they appear at first glance. The annual budget covers a long series of services and consumptions:
- utilities (electricity, water, gas)
- maintenance of installations and equipment
- security services
- cleaning services
- lawn maintenance materials
- night lighting
- irrigation systems
- electrical installations
The lawn, one of the most expensive components
An important moment in the operation of the stadium was the year 2024, when the playing surface was completely replaced. In June, the turf was changed to a hybrid one, a modern technology used in more and more European arenas. Investment cost: 3.1 million lei!
Hybrid turf combines natural grass with synthetic fibers integrated into the soil. The result is a more durable surface that withstands a greater number of matches and practices without degrading quickly. Paradoxically, the turf is one of the most delicate and expensive components of a modern stadium.
Compared to the National Arena, where the turf has changed almost 15 times since the inauguration and until now, the most expensive being one million euros, installed during the mandate of mayor Sorin Oprescu.
An economy made “in one's own backyard”
In an attempt to keep expenses under control, the stadium administration avoided outsourcing an expensive service: turf maintenance. This activity is carried out with the own staff of the Public Sport and Leisure Service.
In many stadiums in Europe, turf maintenance is contracted to specialized companies, and the costs can reach hundreds of thousands of euros annually.
By using its own staff, Sibiu tries to limit these expenses. The bottom line? It is clear that the financial situation of the stadium in Sibiu is not an exception. Most modern arenas in Romania operate on the same model: direct income never covers costs!
