The final of the Montenegrin Football Cup for the 2024/25 season will, for the first time in independent Montenegro, not be played at the stadium under Gorica.
It was a tradition that the "most beautiful match on the club scene", as the final performance of the most prestigious competition is unofficially called, was played at the best and largest stadium in Montenegro, whatever it was, on the most beautiful stage, usually at the end of May, at the standard time of 20.30:XNUMX PM.
This will not be the case this year, as the replacement of the grass surface at the City Stadium in Podgorica has just begun, and will not be completed by the end of May.
Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović recently expressed hope at a press conference marking the centenary of FK Buducnost that the new pitch would be ready by June 11, when a showpiece match between the legends of the former Yugoslavia and Buducnost is planned to be held to mark the great anniversary.
"Otherwise, the match would not make sense if it were played somewhere else," said Mujović.
The Mayor of Podgorica announced the start of work on April 22nd, pointed out that 45 working days are needed to replace the substrate, and expressed hope that weather conditions will allow everything to be completed on time.
The Cup final is scheduled for May 29th and it is certain that the stadium under Gorica will not be ready. The Montenegrin national football team will play a friendly match against Armenia on June 9th, while the aforementioned exhibition match to mark the centenary of FK Budućnost is scheduled for June 11th.
The idea of the leaders of the Football Association of Montenegro, even though the field under Gorica is fully functional, was to play the 2025 Cup final at the new stadium in Cetinje, whose construction began seven and a half years ago and the works are finally coming to an end.
However, now there is a "stuck" issue with the grass surface, which will not be ready until the end of May, so Cetinje is not an option for this year either.
What's left?
The city stadium in Nikšić, which has already come to the rescue in the last five matches of the Montenegrin national team, with a new western stand, then the stadium in Tuzi, whose new stand opened at the beginning of this season, and, as potentially the most realistic option, the "Topolica" stadium in Bar.
The Mornar court will be the first in Montenegro in independent Montenegro to have a hybrid surface, by far the best court, and the works are nearing completion.
“Topolica” also has two stands and supporters of the two teams could be separated, unlike the stadium in Tuzi, which has only one stand.
Mornar and Dečić are possible finalists of the Montenegrin Cup (they won their first away matches - Barani Iskra 3:0, Tuzani Petrovac 1:0) and the possible designation of their arenas as the venue for the Cup final could raise the issue of favoritism of one team.
The Cup final, however, has been played at the stadium under Gorica for 18 years, along those lines, and for 18 years, FK Budućnost has been privileged.
For that, you have to choose the best field, the best stadium, the best stage, and there aren't many options...
Bonus video:
