Sports

spectacular shots captured by GSP photojournalist Cristi Preda, on a historic day for “dogs”

Today, at lunchtime, the demolition of the arena officially began Dinamo. Below, all the images, statements and information from a day full of emotion for the Dynamo breath.

After years of waiting, the actual demolition of the Dinamo stadium has begun!

Chronology of a historic day for the dynamoist breath:

  • Starting at 11:00 am, the first Dynamo supporters made their appearance at the stadium, wanting to witness the moment they have been waiting for for years.

  • At the field level, they were greeted by a thematic message: “Decades of glory, years of agony, a great history / Stay well, to Bucharest's unique fortress!”.

  • Gradually, the glories from the multidisciplinary history of the club also made their appearances at the stadium, so that 12:00 would be the moment-zero.

  • After the statements of the main actors in this project, such as the president of CS Dinamo, the mayor of Sector 2 and the director of the company responsible for the construction, there was the movement that symbolically started the works: a bulldozer demolished the light sign at the entrance to the complex, the one on which the name of the club was written.

Demolition of the Dinamo stadium, images by Cristi Preda (GSP)

  • Finally, the descent to the “blade of grass”, where the supporters carried out a veritable hunt for “souvenirs”. Some dynamists left with chairs, others with pieces cut from the nets of the gates.

Demolition of the Dinamo stadium, images by Cristi Preda (GSP)

UPDATE 12:45 | It's a hunt for “souvenirs”: chairs, goal nets

There is a veritable “souvenir” hunt going on in the stadium, with several fans trying to get a memento from what we will soon call the former Dinamo stadium. Some dynamists left with chairs, others with pieces cut from the nets of the gates.

photos: Andrei Furnigă and Carmen Dumitru (GSP)

UPDATE 12:30 | Andrei Nicolescu gave a t-shirt to Ionuț Lupescu

Andrei Nicolescu, the president of FC Dinamo, also came to the stadium, who gave a t-shirt to Ionuț Lupescu, an official at CS, coordinator of the club's Academy in the second league.

photos: Andrei Furnigă and Carmen Dumitru (GSP)

UPDATE 12:15 | Hundreds of supporters descended on the “Pit”

The moment of the bulldozer was followed by a descent into the “Pit”, at the “blade of grass”, where the supporters, Lupescu and the other actors in this project displayed a banner with the message:

The place where I always felt glory / From now on it will just be history!

photos: Andrei Furnigă and Carmen Dumitru (GSP)

UPDATE | The builder ensures that the stadium will be ready on time

Sorin Greu, the general manager of Bog'Art, the main company in the association of 4 entrusted with the construction of the stadium, gave assurances that the new stadium will be ready within the budget and on time, i.e. in a maximum of 25 months:

We are honored to be here, to be part of this project. I am referring to the association formed by 4 companies with great experience in such sports infrastructure projects. And for us it is a very emotional moment, the key word here is responsibility and we promise you that we will strictly respect both the contractual deadlines and the budget that we committed to build this multi-purpose arena.

VIDEO | Symbolic start of the demolition: the light firm was taken down

After the declarations, the symbolic start of the demolitions: a bulldozer took down the light sign at the entrance to the complex. At the same time, the removal of the seats from the stands had begun.

The bulldozers level the Dinamo arena: spectacular shots captured by GSP photojournalist Cristi Preda, on a historic day for

This is what the downed light fixture looked like today, as a symbolic start of the works

UPDATE 12:00 | VIDEO with statements by Ionuț Popa, Rareș Hopincă & Ionuț Lupescu

Before the first bulldozer went into action, the decision makers in this business made statements. Dressed thematically, like a construction site, they started with Ionuț Popa, president of CS Dinamo:

Here we are today, we are in this beautiful moment, a moment that means an end, but also a new beginning. A moment that will remind us, years and years from now, of all the effort made together. It was a collective effort. I want to thank all the actors involved: the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the City Hall of Sector 2, the National Investment Company, the Ministry of Development. I want to talk less today so we can see the work begin.

He gave him his word Rareș Hopincă, the mayor of Sector 2.

“I am happy because, as a long-time supporter of the Dynamo community, as the mayor of Sector 2, we manage to start this important project for all of Sector 2. What we see here is a public-public partnership, between the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the Dinamo club, the Ministry of Development and the City Hall of Sector 2, and it is a project for the future of Sector 2.

Along with the most beautiful stadium in Romania, here we will make a 20-hectare Sports Park, which will be accessible to all Bucharest residents, but mainly to the children of Sector 2. Through the partnership concluded at the end of last year, up to 30% of the tickets available at the sports events organized by CS Dinamo will go free of charge to the children of Sector 2.

Just as the great glories of Dinamo Sports Club were able to play sports here, as many of the nearly 55,000 children in Sector 2 should come to sports, play sports at Dinamo and let's raise new generations of champions together,” said the mayor.

The mayor was followed at the microphone by the Dynamoist glory Ionut Lupescu. Before, the hundreds of supporters chanted energetically: “Dinamo, Dinamo!”.

I am pleased to speak on behalf of my colleagues. Not all of them wanted to come today, but there are many of the legends of this club. There are other athletes, from other departments, who have contributed to the glory of this club. I am glad that I am finally standing in front of you and we can say that in two years we will have a new stadium and a new Sports Park.

I can't wait to see you back in Ștefan cel Mare with the League 1 team, FC, playing here. I hope we have a full stadium, many subscriptions and prove that we are completely and utterly different from everything in Romania and Europe. I await you with open arms. Please come here and see if they are working every day. We have to apply pressure. In Romania, where there is pressure there is also performance.

Ionut Lupescu

VIDEO | What the Dynamo supporters say at this historic moment

UPDATE 11:40 | Dynamo legends at the stadium

The closer we get to 12:00, the more Dynamo legends we see. Currently, Ionel Danciulescu, Dumitru Moraru, Ionel Augustin and Lică Movilă. Meanwhile, Bogdan Stelea, Florentin Petre and Marius Niculae also appeared.

There are approximately 300 supporters at the stadium, including a man from Târgoviste who claims to have been a Dynamo fan for 60 years, since 1966.

photos: Andrei Furnigă and Carmen Dumitru (GSP)

VIDEO | The chairs, the first victims in the “Pit”

UPDATE | “Mutu”, then and now: 27 years apart

The famous Dynamo supporter Daniel Rusoaia, also known as “Mutu”, could not miss such a moment. Here's an arc over time, Mutu at the stadium today, on the day it was demolished, versus almost 27 years ago in 1999:

The bulldozers level the Dinamo arena: spectacular shots captured by GSP photojournalist Cristi Preda, on a historic day for

UPDATE 11:20 | The first images from “The Pit”

Starting at 11:00 a.m., some Dinamo supporters appeared at the stadium, waiting for the historic moment. In the meantime, we present you images from inside the stadium:

photos: Andrei Furnigă and Carmen Dumitru (GSP)

Historic day: today the demolition of the Dinamo stadium began

The site has been prepared since Mondayday on which “the first machines entered the site and the containers were placed for site organization“.

Work has begun on

Souvenir for the supporters present

The club belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs will manage the new stadium.

CS Dinamo has also prepared a surprise for the supporters, one to mark the moment. A photo booth was placed in the lobby of the Multipurpose Hall, so that “every supporter can go home with a lifetime memory”. Photos will be handed out for free and they will have such graphics:

The bulldozers level the Dinamo arena: spectacular shots captured by GSP photojournalist Cristi Preda, on a historic day for

The booth will operate until 6:30 p.m.

PHOTO | What the new Dinamo stadium would look like

What the new Dinamo Stadium will look like

The City Hall of Sector 2 paid €7.4 million for the start of the works

The project of the new Dinamo stadium was unlocked after the City Hall of Sector 2 entered the landscape.

This input was needed because a recent Government Ordinance states that The state can finance a maximum of 75% of the value of a stadium, and local beneficiaries must provide the rest. However, the works could start in 2026 only with the money of the local authorities.

In this regard, the Local Council of Sector 2 voted on December 16 to co-finance the project, again 3 days later a first payment was made so that work could start.

37.6 million lei were transferred to the CNI accounts, approximately 7.4 million euros at today's BNR exchange rate.

He will be buried after 75 years!

The current Dinamo stadium was inaugurated on 14 October 1951 and last hosted a first league match on 29 May 2022. Since then, the arena has also been used by CS Dinamo for its third league matches.

GSP recently visited “The Pit” for a final report from the premises of an emblematic arena for Romanian football.

The stadium is in a wasteland far from the romantic sphere. By no means a beautiful ruin, it represents utter wear and tear of finality, with rubbish, fallen plaster and rusted gates, abandoned just when no one had the energy to fix it. Like a relationship that ends in consumption, not in a fight.

Passage from the report signed by Sebastian Culea, George Nistor & Andrei Furnigă

Many of the seats in the old arena no longer exist. Photo: Andrei Furnigă, GSP

The new Dinamo stadium should be ready in 2028

A consortium led by the company Bog'Art, consistently ranked in the top 5 construction companies in Romania, won the contract for the construction of the new Dinamo stadium. It will have a capacity of 25,000 seats.

On April 16, 2025, the day the contract was signed, Bog'Art estimated 2027 as the year the new stadium would be ready. But the new estimates, given the delay in the works, are that the arena will be ready in 2028 at the earliest, with a 25-month timeline.

Other features of the new stadium:

  • Generous spaces for teams: 4 changing rooms, 2 warm-up rooms, areas for technical staff and officials

  • A large box for the press

  • Areas dedicated to disabled spectators

  • VIP spaces including 12 skybox type boxes, a hospitality lounge of over 400 sq m, private boxes and a restaurant

  • Private VIP parking with up to 200 spaces

  • Fully covered grandstands

  • Training areas, sports recovery center, on-site accommodation and a heliport that will serve the Floreasca Emergency Hospital

Ashley Davis

I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button