You probably know Prague as the boozy city break loved by British teenagers and stag do-goers alike. But did you know you could also attend a game at one of four Prague first division teams for less than the cost of two pints in Oxford?
Cheap football getaways are gaining popularity; social media is filled with people heading to Poland, Germany, and even Lithuania, watching games for a fraction of the price of one Premier League ticket. One content creator even makes a point seeing whether he can go abroad for a few nights and catch a local game for cheaper than a return train ticket from Glasgow to Brighton.
So, if you’re looking to get away, experience a new city, and watch some decent football, here is my brief guide on Prague football.
There are four first-division teams (as of the 2024/25 season) from Prague. The two you have likely already heard of are Slavia and Sparta. Then there are also Bohemians 1905 and Dukla Praha, but I will exclude Dukla from this as it’s a bit further out and, in terms of popularity and accessibility, probably not quite up there with the others.
Sparta Praha: the classic, well-established one
Sparta are the record champions and arguable the biggest club in Prague. The epet ARENA is a proper city ground, now over thirty years old in its current iteration, having initially been opened in 1917. Sparta fans are local, loyal, and friendly.
If you’re in Prague for only one game, make it a Sparta one. The Czech league is very varied, with the top five teams (which almost always include Sparta, Slavia, and Viktoria Plzen) far outperforming the bottom five. The quality of football really varies, but watching Sparta and Slavia is always a safe bet.
The atmosphere in Sparta games is generally good. I am quite critical of stadium atmosphere, with most of my viewing experience being in the infamous 2. Bundesliga which has arguably some of the strongest fanbases, often outperforming the 1. Bundesliga simply on numbers. Yet, Sparta is decent, with the ‘ultras’ creating a decent bit of noise throughout the match.
Pros: good atmosphere and club vibe, good quality football, international (can easily get by with just English), cool old-school stadium.
Cons: older stadium (not as accessible), limited food choice, difficult to buy tickets (weird website and log-in needed).
Atmosphere: 5/5 – Football: 4/5 – Food and drink: 3/5 – Value for money: 4/5
Slavia Praha: the modern, international one
Boasting the biggest football stadium in Prague, the Fortuna Arena is a modern but basic stadium. As with most stadiums in Prague, it is easy to get to, doesn’t have long queues and offers the most ‘comfortable’ stadium experience. It even has a McDonalds outside next to the fan shop.
Whilst Slavia ultras are known for their extravagant tifo, the overall atmosphere in the stadium is lacking. With that said, the tifo is some of the best I have ever seen, even having only visited on a mid-week cup tie. Pyro, flares, banners, choreo – you name it, they have it.
The football is also some of the best in the league, with Slavia having just secured the championship ahead of Sparta and Viktoria Plzeň. If you’ve only experienced Premier League football and you’re mainly interested in watching a decent game of football in an accessible and modern stadium, go to Slavia. If you want to see some proper physical European footy in a grotty stadium, you’ll probably be a bit disappointed.
Pros: relatively easy to get tickets, great tifo and pyro displays, modern stadium.
Cons: limited atmosphere, feels a bit commercial.
Atmosphere: 3/5 (only due to tifo) – Football: 4/5 – Food and drink: 4/5 – Value for money: 4/5
Bohemians Praha 1905: the cool, local one
Loved by expats and locals, this is a one-of-a-kind stadium, nestled in between apartment buildings and gardens. There’s one main stand and also a standing area for the ‘ultras’ and those who want to soak in the most of the atmosphere.
Tickets are easily bought online once you figure out the website, with decent seats costing around a tenner. Bohemians are by no means at the same international level as Slavia and Sparta, but what they lack in football prowess they make for in character.
Bohemians has been my favourite visit so far, always offering a funny moment whether it be the (near to) collapsing main stand or the cult-like ultras in Peaky Blinders-esque suits. Beer and food are plentiful, with lots of beer stands and a decent choice of food for Czech standards. Across the street from the stadium, a couple of bars also offer criminally cheap pints. A great day out guaranteed.
And, if I haven’t sold it to you yet, did you know that Antonín Panenka spent most of his career with Bohemians? Yes, that Panenka.
Pros: great food choices on concourse, £1.80 beer, great pubs around the stadium, very easy to buy tickets online, good mix of expats and locals.
Cons: varied quality of football, facilities limited and not very accessible.
Atmosphere: 4/5 – Football: 3/5 – Food and drink: 5/5 – Value for money: 5/5
Bonus tip: Great Strahov Stadium and Viktoria Žižkov
Once the largest stadium in the world, Strahov is now home to the training ground of Sparta Prague, open to the public most days. A must see for any (football) history nerds.
Viktoria Žižkov are a proper heritage club with a small stadium in the middle of Žižkov, a bustling neighbourhood of Prague, situated right behind the main train station. With tickets starting at a fiver and weekend matches oddly starting at 10:15am on Sundays, this is the perfect way to kick off a football Sunday. Many fans also attend Slavia or Sparta games, with some combining the early 10:15am kickoffs with a later first-division game in the afternoon.
If you do your research and go at the right time, you can often get in at least two or three games across a long weekend; my flatmate managed to squeeze in seven games in six days, seeing three games on the Sunday. With Prague’s public transport, this is easily done: a 72-hour public transport ticket costs just over £10.
There’s no need to arrive hours before kickoff. 30 minutes is plenty to get in, grab a beer and find your seat. The food is pretty mediocre, with ‘klobása s chlebem’ (literally: ‘sausage with bread’) being a commonly found Czech staple in all stadiums – and no, that’s not a hotdog, it’s literally a big sausage with a few pieces of dry bread. Keep your expectations low, food-wise.
My top tip after the game: go to Hoxton Burgers and then to Waid Bar for more £2-pints
So, if you’re a social sec planning a tour, make sure Prague is at the top of the list.
