The survey was carried out between April 8 and 18, with 1,009 respondents. The data are representative of the Latvian population aged 18-74 who use the internet at least once a week.
When asked whether Latvia needs a football stadium suitable for international matches, 16% of respondents answered that it is definitely necessary. Another 33% of respondents answered that a stadium would rather be needed. On the other hand, 11% were convinced that a stadium was definitely not needed, while 18% said that a stadium would rather not be needed.
More than a fifth of respondents - 22% - said they did not know the answer to the question or found it difficult to answer.
In the regions of Latvia, the highest support for the stadium is in Rīga and Latgale. In Riga, 18% of respondents consider a stadium to be absolutely necessary, while 34% rather support it. Half of the respondents in Latgale are also in favor of a national football stadium - 13% strongly in favor and 37% rather in favor.
An equal number of women and men - 33% each - think that a stadium is rather necessary. In contrast, twice as many men (22%) as women (11%) are convinced of the need for a stadium.
The group of respondents aged 30-39 is the most opposed to a stadium, with 16% saying that a stadium is definitely not needed and 23% saying that a stadium is rather not needed. In contrast, the 60-74 age group had the least opposition to a national football stadium, with 4% of respondents saying it was definitely not needed and 16% saying it was rather not needed.
Latvians are more supportive of the stadium - 19% of respondents consider the stadium definitely necessary, 35% - rather necessary. Russians were less likely to support the need for a stadium - 11% considered it necessary, 30% - rather necessary.
In April, the LFF received a 10-hectare area in Lucavsala for free use for five years. The LFF has to prepare the documentation for the construction of the stadium within the allotted time, and the municipality will then have to decide on the further disposal of the land, for example, by expropriating it for the benefit of the federation.
The National Football Stadium project could cost around €44 million. International football organizations would cover part of the cost and the LFF hopes to attract other investors, but the overall sources of funding for the project are not yet known.
