Narva's new football arena was formally opened a year ago. Football is popular in the Northeastern Estonian border city, with nearly 400 young players involved in the sport.

But the newly built facility's pneumatic dome began to sag after the city's first heavy snowfall — and heating costs have also been twice as high as projected.

A city government-commissioned audit found that using the hall during snowfall is unsafe, though officials have not yet determined the exact cause.

Natalja Šibalova, head of Narva's Municipal Economy Department, said the city's expert assessment of the project had also confirmed it was well designed and fit for construction.

"We had a building permit, we found a contractor — and what happened afterward, I cannot comment on," Šibalova said. She added that the city is waiting for the final expert report before deciding the arena's future.

The report is expected by the end of the year. Until then, Narva Football Hall will remain closed.

The closure of Ida-Viru County's only indoor football arena during winter, however, has sparked frustration among players.

"I don't know why it was closed," said JK Narva Trans president Nikolai Burdakov. "The last ten days have been above zero, no snow is expected, and a pneumatic hall will never collapse instantly."

He criticized the city's decision, saying, "We're talking about kids having to freeze outside. This is very sad news for us."

Construction of the pneumatic Narva Football Hall cost nearly €7 million.

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