First private indoor football hall opened doors north of Vilnius last Saturday. Featuring a full sized pitch to FIFA Quality Pro standard, the ‘RATO Football Arena’ is certified to host matches up to the second tier (Pirma lyga).
On Saturday, the 29th of March, RATO Football Arena opened doors to the public to become the first privately owned indoor football hall in Lithuania. Located north of Vilnius, the new hall features a 115m x 79m artificial pitch compliant with FIFA Quality Pro requirements. The owners of the hall – RATO Credit Union – already invested more than EUR 4 million into the project but more work is planned for the future, including padel and sand arenas, spaces for CrossFit training, a gym, yoga and pilates studios, athletics and martial arts halls, a cafe, and a multifunctional physiotherapy center.
President of the Lithuanian Football Federation, Edgaras Stankevičius, commented during the opening:
Such projects and private business investments provide mutual benefits – for football, the opportunity to cultivate a new generation of talent and popularize this sport, while business sees a return on investment
The opening was attended by a range of dignitaries, including the Speaker of the Seimas Saulius Skvernelis and the Vilnius District Mayor Robert Duchnevič, the latter of whom underlined municipality’s support for this project.
Source: https://www.lff.lt/vilniaus-rajone-duris-atveria-rato-futbolo-arena/