The country's new world-class stadium won praise from FIFA and has been shown on BBC. But that is only one side of this sports-crazy nation with a confident outlook on the future.

Tiraspol's world class soccer stadium

In Tiraspol, capital of Pridnestrovie, a large sports complex and hotel has been constructed thanks to private enterprise and the owners of local soccer team FC Sheriff. The white polished stadium sparkles with tidiness. A large parking lot and a modern auto showroom lies at ground floor. A glittering modern gas station sits at the entrance. In short, the sports complex looks like part of a very prosperous and well–off Western European city.

This stadium is of top class quality. One recent visitor was Hans Krankl, the internationally prominent former Austrian soccer professional and now trainer of the Austrian national soccer team. In his words, the Tiraspol stadium is better than any stadium in Austria(hosting the European championship in 2006).

Fans fill up the stadium's parking lot for a home team game.

Other European stars agree. The Dutch national team played there last year, and Italy and Scotland came for their World Cup qualifying matches in the autumn of 2005.

Willie McDougall of the Scottish Football Association was impressed:
" - It has facilities second to none, and they are building a five star hotel for visiting teams. I wish we had something like this in Scotland."

Recently, the Tiraspol sports complex was shown on the BBC. British viewers were treated to a tour of the football stadium which received great praise from Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, Europe's supervising football authority. Later in the same program, the BBC also showed some man-in-the-street interviews which revealed that people in Pridnestrovie are very comfortable with Pridnestrovie remaining separate. The red Pridnestrovian passport was shown in detail. People were asked about their attitude to it. Those who spoke were very upbeat on sovereign Pridnestrovie's future.

Tiraspol attracts national teams and players from all
over Europe: Austria, Holland, Italy, Scotland ...

Tiraspol's sports complex covers a territory of 40+ hectares. Apart from the main soccer arena it also includes five smaller fields, training fields, an covered in-door arena for winter play, on-site residences for the home team, a Five Star hotel, and a soccer school for children.