LFF Stadium (Lithuanian Football Federation stadium, Lithuanian: LFF stadionas), formerly known as Vėtra Stadium, is a football stadium in Vilnius, Lithuania.[2] The stadium has a capacity of 5,067 people and was home of the Lithuanian national football team between 2005 and 2022.
History
The Stadium was built in 1957 and was first named Lokomotyvas.[3] The Stadium was rebuilt in 2004 and renamed to Vėtra Stadium as the home ground of FK Vėtra. In 2005, the Stadium hosted its first national team matches.[1]
Following the bankruptcy of Vėtra in 2010, the Stadium was taken over by the Lithuanian Football Federation for 2.2 million litas (€637200) and was renamed as the LFF Stadium. The Stadium has undergone various improvements to meet the UEFA Category 3 stadium requirements. Following the renovation, the Stadium also includes the new headquarters of the LFF, while the grass pitch was changed to an artificial turf. The capacity of the stadium was increased to 5,067.
In 2015, the Stadium was renewed. The artificial turf was relayed, replacing it with a new higher quality surface, and the Stadium's lighting system was updated.[4]
The South stand before the reconstruction (2013)
After a public backlash to an incident that occurred during the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group E match versus England, a specially created municipal investigative commission deemed the Southern stand "structurally deficient and unfit to seat spectators."[5][6] While the Stadium underwent minor improvements afterwards, including an installation of a new scoreboard before an international game against Malta in 2016,[7] the stand remained in use, resulting in three fans sustaining injuries during the same match when part of the floor in the stand cracked.[8] The Stadium was then renovated in 2017.[6] During the 2021 season, the Eastern stand's seating sections were also reinforced. The pitch was relayed in April 2020 and June 2023.[9]
In 2016, the federation presented the stadium to prospective purchasers, before formally listing it in 2022, subsequent to the conclusion of the reconstruction of the Darius and Girėnas Stadium. The municipal authority of Vilnius declined to acquire the venue with the 11–4–6 voting outcome.[10] In March 2024, a subsidiary of Baltijos Futbolo Akademija emerged as the probable buyer of the stadium.[11]
Usage
Since 2011, the Stadium has been the main venue of a majority of the City’s football clubs; Žalgiris Vilnius and Riteriai play in the Stadium, as well as numerous clubs from the lower divisions. Between 2012 and 2022, the ground was the principal home venue of the Lithuanian national football team. The Stadium sometimes hosts a local american football team known as Iron Wolves of the Baltic American Football League,[12] and the Stadium is the venue of the Dancing Day of the Lithuanian Song Festival.[13]
