Although considered one of the most complete in Kosovo, the “Zahir Pajaziti” stadium will undergo further modernization. This comes after the Government of Kosovo allocated a budget of two million euros for new investments in this sports arena.
The head coach of Llapi, the team that plays its home matches in this stadium, Tahir Batatina, revealed in an interview for KosovaPress the changes that the stadium will undergo with the new investments.
“The changes at ‘Zahir Pajaziti’ stadium will start with the east stand, which will have around 500 seats designated as VIP, meaning VIP fans will be separated from regular spectators. Alongside the east stand, a roof will be installed over all four sections of the stadium—covering the entire venue—and, together with the roofing, there will also be new lighting. I believe this will complete the final stage of investment in the stadium, leaving no more major works needed,” said Batatina.
He stated that the works will not prevent Llapi from playing its home matches at “Zahir Pajaziti.”
“We have discussed with both architects about how the project will be implemented, and they confirmed that there will be no obstacle for Llapi because the roofing work does not interfere with the stadium’s field lines. When work begins on the east stand, perhaps for about a week we may need to move one match elsewhere, but otherwise, there will be no construction on match days, and the process will not hinder Llapi’s ability to host games at home,” Batatina explained.
While the stadium is being modernized, Batatina also spoke about the team reinforcements, as the new season is about to start.
“I think Llapi has finished its signings, except I want to officially say that the last player to join will be a central defender from Germany—a Kosovar who grew up there—but who has decided to leave the German fourth division and return to Kosovo’s Super League. He’s a player who has played as a starter for Kosovo’s U21 national team, a centre-back who, in the first two training sessions, has left a very strong impression on me. I think this will be the last signing, but you never know until the transfer window closes. It doesn’t mean that if a quality player is offered to Llapi, I wouldn’t bring him into the team,” Batatina said.
Batatina also outlined the team’s ambitions for the new season in the Kosovo Super League.
“With the goals we’ve set and the signings we’ve made, I believe Llapi will finish in the top four. Our main objective is to qualify for European competitions, to be in the top four and play in Europe again. It doesn’t mean that Llapi will play in Europe every year, because we have seen that in recent years we have been in the top three positions in the table, but sometimes there are also declines. I strongly believe that this year our main goal is to be in the top four and remain stable there, and I am confident we can achieve that,” Batatina stated.
The Llapi head coach also commented on the performances of Drita and Ballkani in European competitions.
“Ballkani and Drita have had outstanding performances. They are two teams that deserve high praise and applause. We all watch their matches in Europe with enthusiasm because our goal is for our teams to succeed in Europe—regardless of the rivalry we have in the league. For me, it’s important that they succeed because their achievements raise our ranking and improve Kosovo’s image in Europe, because we have potential, quality, and talent, and I think both of them have done very well,” Batatina said.
This year, alongside Drita and Ballkani, Kosovo football in Europe was also represented by Prishtina and Malisheva. /A. Bytyçi/
