4/2/2005

E.ON to have a stadium in Budějovice

ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE - It is no spectacular football arena that the energy industry giant E.ON has so far decided to associate its name with, but a modest municipal stadium in České Budějovice. The company paid CZK 35 million for the right to name the stadium for ten years. E.ON Czech Republic chairman Michael Fehn and Budějovice City Hall representatives signed the contract on Thursday.

If we also count in the cost of advertising on the planned jumbo screen, this sum is supposed to increase by another CZK 5 million.

The local football stadium, so neglected that only two years ago it was on the verge of not being certified for top league matches by the Czech and Moravian Footbal Association, should turn into E.ON Stadion already at the end of the year. However, by that time, it will already have become a modern facility, costing the municipal budget a total of CZK 150 million. "So far, we have been funding the entire reconstruction ourselves. Such help is thus very welcome," said Mayor Miroslav Tetter in praise of the partnership.

Chairman Fehn says the stadium reconstruction is a project that corresponds with the strategy of supporting regions where E.ON operates. Already some years ago, E.ON acquired electricity distributors Jihočeská energetika and Jihomoravská energetika. As part of the mandatory unbundling of electricity trading and distribution, it recently restructured these companies into three successors operating under a new brand. Whereas in South Bohemia E.ON decided to support football, in South Moravia it chose to support the Znojmo hockey team. "These projects are already decided. Everything else will be subject to negotiations," said Fehn. What it means is that further support for the Zlatá lyže cross-country skiing event or the Brno women's basketball team is yet to be discussed. It is because in the Czech Republic E.ON is said to prioritize the support of youth sports in preference of professional athletes.

For this reason, E.ON also closed youth football support contracts with the SK Dynamo football club and civic association Jihočeský fotbal. These are one-year contracts so far, with a possible option. "The unique Jihočeský football project, already with over 20 participating clubs, will thus gain new momentum. Moreover, E.ON is a strong partner with a potential of attracting more sponsors," says Miroslav Dvořák, the association's chairman. Already this year, a series of E.ON ČR Junior Cup tournaments for 800 children from the age of ten will take place in seven district towns of the South Bohemia region.

The top league SK Dynamo thus received an unexpected present to commemorate its centennial. "If only we were able to stay in the league," says the club's manager Radomil Procházka, recalling one of its main worries.

Source: Hospodářské noviny