FC Anji Makhachkala have found a new home in the redeveloped Anji Arena, but while the Anji Arena has the look of a modern stadium, the rich Russian club of billionaire Kerimov and star player Eto’o hope that their stay at the new arena will only be a temporary one.
The Anji Arena (or Khazar Stadium) got originally built in 2003, but soon turned out to be unsuitable for professional football and was left unused. Anji in the meantime played their home matches at Dinamo Stadium in the centre of Makhachkala, but with a capacity of just 15,200 seats it was too small and offered little in comfort.
Anji therefore made plans for a brand new modern arena with a capacity of 40,000 seats, but at the same time realised that these large new stadiums take time to built, and therefore also started a project to redevelop the bare-boned Anji Arena as a short-term solution.
With a few delays they have now turned the Anji Arena into a modern stadium that is pleasing on the eye and a clear improvement on Dinamo Stadium, but that is still a relatively basic structure that does not match the long-term ambitions of the club.
The plans for a more permanent stadium, however, have still not properly taken off, and despite the odd drawing having been leaked, it is unclear in what stage plans are in the moment.
The redeveloped Anji Arena officially opened today with the league match between Anji and Krylia Sovetov, which ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw for the home side.
The stadium was filled completely with an attendance of 26,200 spectators, which underlines the popularity of football in the Caucasus region. The attendances of other clubs from the south of Russia such as Terek Grozny, Alania Vladikavkaz and Kuban Krasnodar also rank among the highest in Russia.
(Photo via FC Anji’s official Twitter account)