Photographer Guirec Munier reflects on his long-awaited visit to Bratislava’s Štadión Pasienky – a stadium steeped in history, decay, and resilience. Once a proud stronghold of Slovak football, it now stands as both a relic of the past and a symbol of survival.
“First and foremost, I must thank Scott Groult, aka @scottyfrenchhh, without whom this photo series would not exist. I first discovered Štadión Pasienky during his visit to Bratislava in November 2023 with LOSC. This old-fashioned, romantic stadium – with its majestic brutalist floodlights – stayed in the back of my mind ever since. It became a must-see during my own visit to the Slovak capital.
Opened in 1967 and renovated in 2010, Štadión Pasienky was once a stronghold of Czechoslovak football. Built on artificial hills just a stone’s throw from Tehelné Pole, the home of ŠK Slovan Bratislava and the national team, the ground featured an athletics track and four toothbrush-shaped floodlights. It first served as the home of TJ Internacionál Slovnaft Bratislava (one of the many names of today’s FK Inter Bratislava). For thirty-two years it rose and fell with the fortunes of its club, until the day Inter Bratislava disappeared from the professional scene, selling its license to FK Senica due to financial problems.
Hit, but not sunk. The youth teams, preserved by the Inter Bratislava Civic Association, survived. A senior team rose from the ashes a year later in the fifth division. The road back to the top of the Slovak football pyramid remains long and uncertain.
And where does Štadión Pasienky fit into all this? Over the years it has hosted MFK Petržalka, ŠK Slovan Bratislava, and the national team during the reconstruction of Tehelné Pole. This nine-year period transformed the stadium’s identity: the yellow-and-black seats and Inter Bratislava–coloured floodlights gave way to sky-blue seats and Coca-Cola–branded lights. During this time, Slovan ultras also partially boycotted their rivals’ ground.
Finally, after fifteen years of wandering – from the Štadión Drieňová ulica to the Štadión ŠKP Inter Dúbravka – FK Inter Bratislava has returned to its beloved Štadión Pasienky. Today it stands in a decrepit state, where rust and weeds creep through the terraces, yet once again hosts MONACObet Liga matches. Until when?”
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