One club that featured in this season’s Champions League trains at one of the largest stadiums in the world – yet hosts matches at a venue that’s a fraction of the size
The Great Strahov Stadium might just be the most impressive football stadium you’ve never come across.
Almost a century after its inauguration in 1926, this colossal Prague venue is no longer a hub for competitive sports – unless you count Sparta Prague training sessions.
Despite clinching the Czech First League title a record 14 times and playing eight games in this season’s Champions League – their first group-stage appearance since 2005 – Sparta play at the Letna Stadium.
Also known as epet Arena, it has a seating capacity of just under 19,000, while the Great Strahov has accommodated up to 250,000 spectators in the past.
Nestled on Prague’s Petrin Hill with a view over the city’s old town, the Great Strahov was initially constructed for mass synchronised gymnastics displays.
Premier League side West Ham briefly used the venue in 2023 in preparation for their Conference League final victory over Fiorentina.
Under the management of David Moyes, the Hammers trained at the ground, which seemingly brought them luck as they secured their first major trophy since 1981.
The stadium’s colossal capacity makes it one of the world’s largest sports venues.
However, while it can accommodate a whopping 250,000 concert-goers, its seating capacity is limited to 56,000 due to the central area being its unique selling point.
And what a selling point it is. The Great Strahov currently boasts an impressive eight football pitches within its confines, though that figure jumps to 10 if you count the two futsal pitches also on site.
This gives Sparta Prague a smorgasbord of options for their training sessions. If one part of the arena has been hit by heavy rain, they can always switch to another pitch that may not be quite so soggy.
Despite the ground not hosting any competitive sports since 2019, the city of Prague – which now oversees the stadium’s future – hasn’t thrown in the towel.
After all, any property that can host eight matches simultaneously holds enormous potential.
Even though it has seen performances from rock giants Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, U2, Guns N’ Roses and AC/DC over the years, there are no immediate plans for it to return to prominence.
This puts the Great Strahov at risk of becoming little more than a great disappointment.