We are looking for fan written profiles of club grounds.
Please click here to submit your contribution.

	Capacity		19,553
	Opened		1969

Estadio Reyno de Navarra (formerly El Sadar) is a multi-use stadium in Pamplona, main city of Navarre, Spain. It takes the name from the Kingdom of Navarre. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 19,553 people. The stadium was built in 1969 and is the home of CA Osasuna.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

CA Osasuna official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		34,600
	Opened		1944

Estadio Riazor is a football stadium in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Deportivo de La Coruña.

When Deportivo La Coruña were founded in 1906 they started playing on a field called Corralón de la Gaiteira and in the local bull ring. In May 1909 the team moved to the place where the current stadium stands today. It used to be part of the gardens of the Catholic Church School called Las Esclavas (the slaves).

Now this school stands in front of the actual stadium, on the rocks of the beach. The local Government created the new pitch and it was nicknamed the Riazor, after the nearby Riazor Beach. The name stuck but since then the stadium has been remodeled four times:

1909: Viejo Riazor (Old Riazor) Nowadays the stadium built at the Las Esclavas location is called Viejo Riazor. It was inaugurated on 16 May, 1909 with a match between Deportivo and Fortuna de Vigo. Five years later new goals were added together with small terraces. The stadium was also fenced up so people would have to pay to see the match.

In this first Riazor, Deportivo played against the charismatic Uruguayan national team, knocked Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey and obtained their first promotion to the Primera División. Some important players of Deportivo’s history played in this era like Chacho, Ramón González, Acuña and Luis Otero. Deportivo played in this Old Riazor until 1944.

1944: Riazor In 1944 the largest football stadium in the history of the Galician region was built. This Riazor had a capacity of 40,000 to 45,000 spectators.

The first match in the new stadium was played on 29 October, 1944 and priest Ricardo Domínguez Dopazo blessed the place in the morning. The Mayor back then was Vázquez-Peña and the president of Deportivo at that time was Ruenes. Some supporters thought the new stadium contained a mistake as the terraces were very far away from the pitch and there was a rumour that the pitch was posessed by the devil. That year Deportivo went down to the Segunda División…

The stadium had cost 5 million pesetas to construct. The promoter of it was former Mayor José Pérez Ardá, materializing the ideas of Ramon del Llano. The design and the stadium and the project’s sheets were made by municipal architect Santiago Rey Pedreira and Angel Llopiz. The stadium covered an area of 39.325 m2 and the pitch 7.770 m2 (105×74 meters) was one of the biggest in Spain.

Behind the stadium, over the standing Fondo terrace, a great tower of 45 meters was built. Next to it some training pitches, popularly called picadero were constructed. At the front of it was surrounded by arches and columns. There was also a training pitch (80×65 meters), demolished in 1968 to make way for the Municipal Pavilion of Sports.

The official capacity of the stadium back then was 37,000. But tickets of some matches show that some matches were played in front of some 60,000 supporters! The biggest terrace was the one in front of the covered stands. This one wasn’t covered and was called Preferencia.

The inauguration match in 1944 was played against Valencia and was dedicated to Virgilio López Rincón, the only survivor of the first team of the 1906 Deportivo. The first eleven Deportivo players that played that day were: Acuña, Portugués, Guimeráns, Bienzobas, Lezama, Caballero, Molaza, Marquinez, Pedrito and Paquirri. Deportivo lost 2-3 and the first goal of the history in the stadium was scored by Valencia player Hernández in front of 18,000 spectators.

After 1944 some important players of Deportivo’s performed in this stadium like Luis Suárez, Amancio and Veloso. The only final of the Copa del Rey played in the city was in this stadium in 1947 as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 in front of 30,000 spectators. In the same year the first edition of the Trofeo Teresa Herrera was celebrated, won by Athlétic de Bilbao as they beat Brazilian Vasco de Gama 3-2.

1982: remodelling for World Cup tournament At the start of the 1980s the stadium was remodelled again due to the World Cup taking place in Spain in 1982. The organization wanted to change it radically: a reduction of capacity but an increase of comfort. Instead of cemented seats, they wanted to install plastic seats with a back. The remodelled Riazor was inaugurated with the World Cup being played in June 1982. It was officially inaugurated on 15 June, 1982 with the match Peru – Cameroon that ended 0-0.

So, this remodelling became a total renovation. They had to demolish the great terrace of the Preferencia Superior because it was built with poor material. They only conserved parts from the Old Riazor were the big Marathon tower and some walls. The stadium won in comfort but actually got worse: the losing of 10,000 seats spectators didn’t make sense.

This time the remodelling was promoted by Angel Ron, La Coruña’s delegate of the World Cup. The total inversion was 501.469.000 pesetas, of which 402.239.000 (80%) came from the City Hall and only 99.230.000 (20%) from the World Cup organization. Those years the relationship between the City Government and the club were very good.

In 1983, Mayor Francisco Vázquez and Deportivo president Corzo Sierra signed a pact that allowed Deportivo to use the stadium whenever they wanted. This pact will stand for 50 years, until 2033, with the only annual cost for Deportivo being a symbolic 1 peseta. This contract is very important for Deportivo because it guarantees the club a place to call ‘home’ in the city for the next 50 years. It also links the club with the local Government, to preserve good relations.

The great remodelling and the contract were the first lines of a new chapter in the stadium’s history. Riazor had to be prepared for the year 2000, especially the changing and press room. After this it needed some important changes in the terraces concerning the telecommunications aspect. They also had to demolish some athletic runways – the best in Spain at that time – leaving behind only six of them. The first Deportivo player scoring in the new stadium was Jose Luis against Alavés.

1990s: final improvements As indicated, the stadium had lost some of its initial capacity during the remodelling process. But the excellent results of the team in the 1990s in both domestic and European competitions made it being too small and in need for new changes.

In 1995 the idea to close the stadium and to construct a new terrace behind the Sports Pavilion was considered and it would have an “U” shape. The new project included a big red top to cover the whole stadium and the local government would pay for it.

In the end the athletic runways were completely suppressed and this led to a big polemic because those were the only runways in the city. Most part of Riazor got covered with plastic seats and the marathon terrace was also modified, bringing it closer to the pitch. The metallic fences were kept intact, although they were very uncomfortable when watching the match from the 10 first rows. The big nets behind both goals were also not very popular, but they remained unchanged.

The stadium capacity was increased to 35,600 places, all seated. The current Riazor was inaugurated in in February, 1998 with the match between Deportivo and Real Madrid (2-2). Some radical spectators were unhappy about the plastic seats, as they didn’t want to sit down. Around 100 seats were stolen or thrown on the pitch during that match and 84 more against Alavés three days later. The official inauguration took place during the summer of 1998, with a match for the Teresa Herrera tournament starring Real Madrid and Lazio Roma. The first goal was scored by Morientes and the match was dedicated to Deportivo ex-players Rodrigo Vizoso, Acuña and Pedrito, members of the Deportivo squad that played the inaugural match after the 1944 remodelling.

After these stadium improvements, some more slight remodellings have been made. A new system for TV transmissions, the UCO, was installed. And in 2000, just before Deportivo’s first Champions League match, some of the other sections, like the press room, were also improved. In the summer of 2001, the new VIP terraces were built and they are among the best in Europe as there is an exterior section with deluxe seats and the interior has TV’s, Mini bar, etc. The VIP terraces have individual exits to the stadium and an independent luxury shop. In the summer of 2002, two big TFT displays were added to the stadium (10×10 meters), right above the goals. Replays and music videos can now be played.

The Future There’s no certainty about what will happen to the stadium. But Deportivo president Lendoiro ordered famous architect Peter Eisenman and the London studio HOK to design a project for a new remodelation. The main ideas are to make of Riazor a new commercial center, with a Deportivo museum, a stadium with a larger capacity and with a modern shape. Lendoiro wants Riazor to be the myth of modern architecture in this century.

The problem is that the relationship between the local Government and Deportivo has got worse as the years got by and there won’t be any financial support. But Lendoiro wants the club to finance it and also to get the ownership of the stadium.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Deportivo de La Coruña official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

We are looking for fan written profiles of club grounds.
Please click here to submit your contribution.

	Capacity		14,400
	Opened		1998

Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Pérez is a football stadium in Getafe, Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Getafe CF.

– Pitch dimensions:
o Length: 105m
o Width: 68m

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Getafe CF official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		25,400
	Opened		1969

Estadi Ciutat de València (City of Valencia Stadium) is a football stadium in Valencia, Spain, and is the home ground of Levante UD. The stadium holds 25,400 and was built in 1969.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Levante UD official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		52,132
	Opened		1929

Estadio Manuel Ruiz de Lopera is a football stadium in Sevilla, Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Real Betis. It was called Estadio Benito Villamarín for a while before the new owner of the club, Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, decided to build a new stadium over the old one.

Information

* Pitch Dimensions:
o Length: 107m
o Width: 64m
* Other Facilities: Ciudad Deportiva Ruiz de Lopera

Construction

For unknown reasons Lopera decided to discontinue the construction of the new stadium leaving an old section untouched. However, during a press conference on September 08, 2006, Manuel Ruiz de Lopera stated that he intends to knock down the south section of the stadium, thus enhancing the capacity to “65,000 or 70,000″. This will take place as some stage during the coming season.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Real Betis Balompié official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		23,142
	Opened		1999

ONO Estadi (in the past called Son Moix) is a football stadium in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands. The ONO Estadi was built for the Universiade celebration in Palma in 1999. It is the stadium where RCD Mallorca has played its football matches since 1999, when the club obtained an agreement with the city council to use it. It replaced Estadio Lluis Sitjar.

The stadium can hold 23,142 spectators, and is situated in the industrial zone Can Valero in Palma, 3 km from the center of the city.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

RCD Mallorca official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		55,926
	Opened		1927

The Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (formerly known as the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc) is a stadium in Barcelona. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 Expo in the city (and Barcelona bid for the 1936 Olympic games, awarded to Berlin), it was rebuilt in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics.

The stadium is named for the president of the Generalitat de Catalunya Lluís Companys i Jover, and is located on Montjuïc, a large hill to the southwest of the city which overlooks the harbour. Companys was executed at the nearby Montjuïc Castle in 1940 by the franquism because of his ideas of self-determination for Catalonia.

When the Spanish Grand Prix and other races were held at the Montjuïc Formula One racing circuit until 1975, the stadium was used as a paddock for the teams. Due to safety concerns, the 1975 F1 race was nearly boycotted by drivers.

The stadium has a capacity of 55,926, and has served as the home of RCD Espanyol since 1998. It also served as the home of the Barcelona Dragons American Football team until 2003. Because the size of the playing surface was slightly shorter than the regulation American Football length, the stadium only had 7-yard end zones, three yards shorter than regulation NFL size.

The stadium hosted the Euro 2008 qualifying match between Andorra and England on the 28th of March 2007.

The Estadi Olimpic will make its final La Liga appearance during the 2008-2009 season, as Espanyol will move to the newly constructed Estadio Cornellá-El Prat.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

RCD Espanyol official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		80,354
	Opened		December 1947

The Santiago Bernabéu is a football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It is the home of Real Madrid. Work on the grounds started on October 27, 1944. Originally called Estadio Chamartín after Madrid’s previous stadium, it was inaugurated in December 1947. Real Madrid officially adopted the present name, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, on January 4, 1955 in honor of the club president Santiago Bernabéu.

The capacity has changed frequently, peaking at 120,000 after a 1953 expansion. Since then there have been a number of reductions due to modernisations (the last standing places went away in 1998/99 in response to UEFA regulations which forbids standing at matches in the UEFA competition), countered to some extent by expansions. The last change was an increase of about five thousand to a capacity of 80,354, effected in 2003. A plan to add a retractable roof has been announced.

The Bernabéu is one of the world’s most famous football venues, along with a handful of others, such as the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Old Trafford in Manchester, Anfield in Liverpool, Wembley in London, Azteca in Mexico, San Siro in Milan, Monumental in Buenos Aires, Centenario Stadium in Montevideo or the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. Alongside London’s Wembley, the Munich Olympic Stadium and the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, it has the proud record of having hosted the European Cup final (in 1957, 1969 and 1980), the 1964 European Championship final (1964), and the FIFA World Cup final (1982).

The stadium has its own Madrid Metro station along the 10 line called Santiago Bernabéu. Its location, in the heart of Madrid’s business district, is quite unusual for a football stadium. It is also used on occasion to stage concerts, though because of its size this does not happen often.

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Real Madrid official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		98,772
	Opened		24th September 1957

The Camp Nou (Catalan for “new field”, often called the Nou Camp in both Spanish and English) is an association football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957. It is a UEFA 5-star rated stadium, and has hosted numerous international matches at senior level, and UEFA Champions League finals, the most recent being in 1999. It has a capacity of 98,772, making it the largest stadium in Europe. Its official name was Estadi del FC Barcelona (FC Barcelona Stadium) until 2000, when the club membership voted to change the official name to the popular nickname, Camp Nou.

Opposite Camp Nou is the Palau Blaugrana, the stadium for indoor sports and adjacent is the Ice Rink, the stadium for ice based sports. Just behind the complex is the Mini Estadi, the stadium where the FC Barcelona B plays its games.

History

Barcelona had outgrown their old stadium. Camp de Les Corts which held 60,000 supporters and the Camp Nou, built between 1954 and 1957, was designed by architects Francesc Mitjans-Miró, Lorenzo García Barbon and Josep Soteras Mauri. FC Barcelona won their first game at Camp Nou in impressive fashion, a 4-2 victory against Legia Warsaw with Eulogio Martínez scoring the first goal at the new stadium. Over 90,000 fans were present at this momentous occasion.

The capacity has varied between 93,053 at its opening to 120,000 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup before the outlawing of standing sections at the stadium brought the capacity to below 99,000 in the late 1990s.

The stadium’s facilities include a memorabilia shop, mini pitches for training matches, and a chapel for players. The stadium also houses the most visited museum in Catalonia, El Museu del Barça, which receives about 1,200,000 visits per year. The museum was inaugurated in 1984 under the presidence of Josep Lluís Nuñez. The museum shows 1,420 pieces about FC Barcelona’s history, of which 420 are trophies. The inauguration ceremony of the 1982 World Cup was held on June 13. In front of a 100,000-strong crowd, Belgium beat Argentina 1-0.

Camp Nou has been host to other important events outside the sphere of football. Notable music artists who have performed in the stadium include:

* Michael Jackson
* U2
* Pink Floyd
* Bruce Springsteen
* Frank Sinatra
* Julio Iglesias
* Sting, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band & Peter Gabriel
* The Three Tenors: Josep Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti
* Josep Carreras
* Lluís Llach

Pope John Paul II celebrated mass with a congregation of over 120,000 at Camp Nou on November 17, 1982.

Future

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the stadium, the club issued and international tender for architects to develop a project for re-modelling the stadium. The aim of the project was to turn the stadium into an integrated and highly visible urban environment. Whilst not aiming for a substantial increase in seating capacity, proposals must accommodate a minimum of 50% of seats to be under cover.

On September 18, 2007, British architect Norman Foster and his company was selected to “restructure” the Camp Nou. The plans include an extra 10,000 seats to be added and the estimated cost is €250 million.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

FC Barcelona official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		34,596
	Opened		September 8th 1957

La Romareda is the name of the home stadium of Real Zaragoza, in Zaragoza. It was inaugurated on September 8, 1957 with a game between Real Zaragoza and CA Osasuna (4-3).

The stadium has gone through various upgrades in 1977 and in 1982, when it was a 1982 World Cup venue. It became an all seater stadium in 1994.

The official capacity is 34,596, with an average attendance of around 30,000 for Real Zaragoza matches.

Plans to build a new stadium in Zaragoza have been abandoned.

La Romareda was proposed as Olympic Stadium in the bid of Jaca for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Works for the enlargement of La Romareda into a 43,000-seater stadium were due to begin on April 17, 2006 and end in time for the Zaragoza Expo of 2008. However, a lawsuit was filed by a political party (PAR), claiming that the enlargement of the stadium would be to the detriment of the population, in order to suspend the planned works. A judge order the suspension and the works have since been put on hold. It is unclear whether the works of La Nueva Romareda will resume and be completed in time for Expo 2008.

The stadium has also been used for concerts for bands such as Metallica and Slipknot.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Real Zaragoza official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		19,990
	Opened		2001

Nuevo Colombino is a multi-use stadium in Huelva, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Recreativo de Huelva. Football was first introduced to Spain in Huelva and it still hosts the annual Trofeo Colombino, one of the traditional curtain-raisers to the Spanish football season. The new stadium holds 19,900 and was built in 2001.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Recreativo de Huelva official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		22,400
	Opened		1988

Estadio El Sardinero is a football stadium in Santander, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 22,400 people. The stadium was built in 1988 and is the home ground for La Liga club Racing de Santander.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Racing de Santander official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

The Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is a stadium in Seville, Spain. It is the home stadium of Sevilla FC. It was the venue for the 1986 European Cup Final between Steaua Bucharest and Barcelona and the 1982 World Cup Semifinal game between Germany and France.

This stadium contains a singular legend: the Spanish national team has never lost a game when they played against an international team in this stadium. Sevilla FC has lost only once to AZ Alkmaar in the 2006-2007 UEFA Cup Group Stage.

The stadium holds 45,500 and was built in 1957. It replaced Estadio Nervion.

The stadium is nicknamed “La Bombonera” (more commonly used to refer to Estadio Alberto J. Armando, the home stadium of Boca Juniors) or “La Bombonera de Nervión” due to the Nervion neighborhood where the stadium is situated.

On April 5th 2007, the first leg in the UEFA Cup Quarter-Final tie between Sevilla and Spurs led to heavy confrontations between Spurs fans and local riot police. Spurs partly blamed the incident on a lack of segregation at the Sánchez Pizjuán.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Sevilla FC official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		39,750
	Opened		21 August, 1913

Estadio San Mamés, AKA La Catedral (The Cathedral), is a football stadium in Bilbao, Spain. The stadium is the home of Athletic Club Bilbao. They are known as “Los leones de San Mamés” (The lions of San Mamés).

Opened in 1913, the stadium is Spain’s oldest, condition that has granted it its nickname, and can seat almost forty thousand people.

The current stadium was almost completely rebuilt to host matches in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

In March 2006 new project has been approved to rebuild the stadium increasing seats up to 50,000. The new stadium will be built in the adjacent terrain that was occupied until 2003 by the Bilbao International Trade Fair. Three quarters of the stadium will be built and then the matches will take place in the new stadium and the old one will be demolished. In the remaining terrain the last side of the new stadium will be completed and the University of the Basque Country will build a new campus.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Athletic Club Bilbao official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

We are looking for fan written profiles of club grounds.
Please click here to submit your contribution.

	Capacity		55,005
	Opened		2 October, 1966

The Vicente Calderón Stadium (Spanish: Estadio Vicente Calderón) in Madrid, Spain, is the home stadium of Atlético Madrid football club. It is located in the heart of Madrid by the banks of the River Manzanares. The stadium was originally called Estadio Manzanares, but was later changed to Vicente Calderón after the famous Atlético club president.

The Vicente Calderón Stadium regularly holds international matches of the Spanish national team. It has a capacity of 55,005 and was given the UEFA 5 star stadium rating in 2003.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Atlético Madrid official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Estadio El Madrigal is a football stadium in Vila-real, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches, as it is the home of Villarreal CF. The stadium with 23,000 seats was built in 1923. Due to the small size of the Vila-real town (less than 50,000 inhabitants) it is popularly said that the town is deserted when the Villarreal plays, as almost half of it fits in the stadium; the average attendance reaches 17,000 fans.

	Capacity		23,000
	Opened		17 June, 1923

History

The stadium was inaugurated on June 17 of 1923 with the match between CD Castellón and Cervantes, and named Campo del Villarreal, but it was renamed to its current denomination only 2 years later, in honour to the rural lands on which it was erected. Nicknamed the Feudo Amarillo (”Yellow Feud”), its located at Plaza Labrador, 5 kilometres away from the Mediterranean Sea, and at an altitude of 50 metres.

The first remodelling works took place on the summer break of 1952. The size of the pitch was taken from 95 x 65 m to 105 x 65 m, matching that of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium of the 1952 Summer Olympics, a reference to copy during those years.

During the 1960s the club erected a small covered stand, and during the 1971/72 season the southern stands were finished. In 1988 it was demolished to make room for a new stand opened on March 8 1989 with a friendly match against Atlético Madrid.

For the club’s 75th anniversary the club started new renovation works. The south stand was again demolished to erect a new one with a roof, an amphitheatre, the VIP sector, and the northern stand were built, finishing the works at the 1999/00 season.

The stadium was first floodlit for night matches on September 16, 1973 for the third division match between Villarreal CF and Sociedad Deportiva Ibiza. The city hall provided help for the construction of the floodlight towers located at each of the four corners of the field, with nine halogen lamps on top of each one.

The locker rooms were moved several times. Until the 1935/36 season they were at the south eastern corner of the stadium, then at the north east until the 1989, when they were moved to the south western part. After the last modifications to the stadium, the dressing rooms are now under the main stand.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Villarreal CF official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Estadio Mestalla is a football stadium in Valencia, Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Valencia C.F. With a capacity of 53,000 seats, it ranks as the fifth largest stadium in Spain. It is also renowned for it’s steep terracing and being one of the most intimidating atmospheres in all of Europe to play at. In 2009, the team is expected to move into the Nou Mestalla, a state of the art stadium with a seat capacity of 75,000, located in Valencia.

	Capacity		52,469
	Opened		1923

History

On the 20th of May of 1923 the Mestalla pitch was inaugurated with a friendly match that brought Valencia CF and Levante UD face to face. It was the beginning of a new era that meant farewell to the old place, Algirós, which will always remain in the memories of the Valencians as first home of the club. A long history has treaded on the Mestalla field since its very beginning, when the Valencia team was not yet in the Primera División. Back then, this stadium could hold 17,000 spectators, and in that time the club started to show its potential in regional championships, which led the managers of that time to carry out the first alterations of Mestalla in 1927. Its total capacity increased to 25,000 seats before it became one of the most damaged stadiums by the Civil War.

Mestalla was used as concentration camp and junk warehouse. It would only keep its structure, since the rest was a lonely plot of land with no terraces and a stand broken during the war. Once the Valencian pitch was renovated, Mestalla saw how the team managed to bring home their first title, the 1941 Cup. An overwhelming team was playing on the grass of the redesigned Valencian stadium in that decade, team that conquered three League titles and two Cups with the legendary ‘electric forwards’ of Epi, Amadeo, Mundo, Asensi and Guillermo Gorostiza. Those years of sporting success also served as support to recover little by little the Mestalla ground.

During the decade of the fifties, the Valencia ground experienced the deepest change in its whole history. That project resulted in a stadium with a capacity of 45,500 spectators. It was a dream that was destroyed by the flood that flooded Valencia in October of 1957 after the overflowing of the Turia River. Nevertheless, Mestalla not only returned to normality, but also some more improvements were added, like artificial light, which was inaugurated during the 1959 Fallas festivities. This was the beginning of a new change for the Mestalla.

During the sixties, the stadium kept the same appearance, whilst the urban view around it was quickly being transformed. Moreover, the Valencian domain became from that moment on, the setting of big European feats. Nottingham Forest was the first foreign team that played an official match in Mestalla with the “Che” club. They played on the 15th of September of 1961 and it was the first clash of a golden age full of continental successes, reinforced with the Fairs Cup won in 1962 and 1963. Mestalla had just entered the European competitions as a stadium where the most important events were taking place.

From 1969, the expression “Anem a Mestalla” (Let’s go to Mestalla), so common among the supporters, started to fall into oblivion. The reason was the change of name that meant a big tribute that the club paid to his most symbolic president that lasted for a quarter of a century. Luis Casanova Giner admitted that he was completely overwhelmed by such honour, and the president himself requested in 1994 that his name was again replaced by the name of Mestalla, as it happened. At the beginning of the seventies, the local bench of the back-then-called Luis Casanova stadium was occupied by Alfredo Di Stéfano, whose results were the winning of one League competition, one second place in the League and two Cup finals lost by the minimum difference. Moreover, Valencia participated for the first time in the European Cup and made their debut in the UEFA Cup. It all was a series of events that made that every match in the stadium located in Suecia Avenue turned into a big party.

In 1972 the head office of the club, located in the back of the numbered terraces, was inaugurated. It consisted of an office of avant-garde style with a worth mentioning trophy hall, which held the foundation flag of the club. In the summer of 1973 there was another new thing, the goal seats, which meant the elimination of fourteen rows of standing terraces providing more comfort and an adjustment to the new times. Valencia´s management started to consider the possibility of moving Mestalla from its present location to some land in the outskirts of the town, but finally the project was turned down and some years later.

At that time, Mario Kempes was the best footballer in the world and was playing for Valencia. With the Matador in its team, Valencia would get the titles of the Copa del Rey, the Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup in consecutive years. The “Che” team became continental superchampion in the last European final played in Mestalla. It was in 1980 against Nottingham Forest, which oddly enough was the first foreign team that had played an official match in the Valencian stadium.

Mestalla, which in 1925 had held the first match of the Spain national football team in Valencia, was chosen as the perfect setting for the debut of Spain in the 1982 World Cup, although the performance of the combined national team was not finally what was expected. Ten years later, the olympic team would look for support in the Valencian stadium, this time with a very different result, since the selected young footballers finally got the gold medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona.

Mestalla has been the setting for important international matches, has held several Cup finals, has been seat for Levante UD, home of the Spanish national team and exile for Castellón and Real Madrid in the European Cup; it has seen important footballers like Mario Kempes, Maradona or Pelé himself running on its grass and above all, it has lived the most important feats of Valencia Club de Fútbol.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Valencia CF official website
Real Federación Española de Fútbol
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		27,128
	Opened		1934

Stadio Olimpico di Torino (before 2006: Stadio Comunale di Torino) is a football stadium in Turin, Italy.

It was built in 1933 for the FIFA World Cup 1934, the first World Cup held in Italy, and originally held 65,000 spectators. It was originally named Stadio Mussolini, after Benito Mussolini. It was renamed to Stadio Comunale after the Second World War. For many years it was home to Juventus and Torino Calcio before Stadio delle Alpi opened in 1990. The stadium was abandoned for several years, before being chosen as an Olympic venue. Much of the original structure was demolished in this refurbishment.

The new version of the stadium has 27,500 covered seats. The playing area is not roofed. It hosted the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics as Stadio Olimpico (Olympic Stadium). After the Olympic Games, upon further reconstruction, it was to be renamed to Stadio Grande Torino (Great Torino Stadium) after the Torino players who died in the Superga air disaster on May 4, 1949. The “Olimpico” will be renamed at the end of its sharing between Torino F.C. and Juventus. In fact the stadium is to be used as the home ground of local football team Torino F.C. and to be temporarily used by Juventus, while its own stadium (Stadio delle Alpi) is restructured.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Torino FC official website
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA GIUOCO CALCIO
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

We are looking for fan written profiles of club grounds.
Please click here to submit your contribution.

	Capacity		39,211
	Opened		1963

Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi is in Verona, Italy. It is the home of both Chievo Verona of Serie A and Hellas Verona of Serie B.

Inaugurated as a state-of-the-art facility and as one of Italy’s finest venues in 1963, the stadium appeared excessive for a team (Hellas) that had spent the best part of the last 35 years in Serie B. For the 1990 FIFA World Cup renovations included a roof to cover all sections, improved visibility, public transport connections and services.

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

AC Chievo Verona official website
Hellas Verona FC official website
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA GIUOCO CALCIO
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Stadio Olimpico is the major stadium of Rome, Italy. It is located on the Foro Italico. It is the home of both A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio. It was built in 1936 and has a capacity of 82,000. It was the site of the 1960 Summer Olympics, but has also served as the location of the 1987 World Athletics Championships and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. It will also be hosting the UEFA Champions League Final in 2009.

Also on the Foro Italico lies the Stadio dei Marmi, or “marble stadium”, which was built in 1932 and designed by Enrico Del Debbio. It boasts enormous tiers topped by 60 white marble statues that were gifts from Italian cities in commemoration of 60 athletes.

	Capacity		82,000
	Opened		1937

Famous matches

* The 1977 European Cup final match saw Liverpool F.C. winning the trophy against Borussia Mönchengladbach, 3–1.
* The 1984 European Cup final match saw Liverpool F.C. winning the trophy after a penalty shootout against A.S. Roma (regular time ended 1-1).
* The 1990 FIFA World Cup final match saw West Germany national football team winning against Argentina national football team 1-0.
* The 1996 Champions league final match saw Juventus F.C. winning the trophy after a penalty shootout against AFC Ajax (regular time ended 1-1).

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

SS Lazio official website
AS Roma official website
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA GIUOCO CALCIO
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		85,700
	Opened		September 19th 1926

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, more commonly called the Stadio San Siro, is a football stadium in Milan, Italy. It is the home stadium for two of the three most successful Italian Football League teams: A.C. Milan and Internazionale, and one of the most famous soccer stadia in the world. Although it has been officially renamed in honour of Giuseppe Meazza, the Inter and Milan player of the 1930s and 1940s, it is still commonly called the San Siro. With the spectators being so close to the pitch, the stands being so steep and with a large roof, it is considered to have one of the best atmospheres of any stadium in the world.

The stadium construction started in 1925 in the Milanese district of San Siro, which gave its original name. The idea to build a stadium in the same district of the horse racing track, belongs to the man who then was the president of A.C. Milan, Piero Pirelli. The architects designed a stadium only for football (there is no athletics track in it). The inauguration was on 19 September 1926, when 35,000 spectators saw Inter defeat Milan 6-3. Actually, the stadium was property of A.C. Milan and only Milan. Milan played its home matches there. Then Inter Played home game there with AC Milan.

The stadium underwent further renovations for the 1990 World Cup with $60m being spent, bringing the stadium up to standard. As part of the renovations, the stadium became all seated, with an extra tier being added to 3 sides of the stadium. This entailed the building of 11 concrete towers around the outside of the stadium. Four of these concrete towers located at the corner support a new roof which has distinctive protruding red girders.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

FC Internazionale Milano official website
AC Milan official website
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA GIUOCO CALCIO
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

The Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium) is a sports stadium in Berlin. There have been two stadia on the site: the present facility, and one that was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March and the second by his son Werner March.

The current Olympiastadion surrounded by the massive Olympischer Platz was originally built for the 1936 Summer Olympics. During World War II these buildings suffered little damage. After the war, the United Kingdom military occupation used it as its headquarters until 1994.

Aside from its use as an Olympic stadium, the Olympiastadion has a strong footballing tradition. Historically, it’s the ground of club Hertha BSC of Berlin. It was also used for 3 matches in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. It hosted six matches, including the final, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was renovated for that reason. The German Cup final match is held each year at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

	Capacity		74,228
	Opened		1936

History

1916 to 1934: Deutsches Stadion, old Olympiastadion

In 1912 during the 1912 Summer Olympics the city of Berlin was designated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 1916 Summer Olympics. Germany’s proposed stadium for this event was to be located in Charlottenburg, in the Grunewald Forest, to the west of Berlin — thus the stadium was also known as Grunewaldstadion. A horse racing-course already existed there which belonged to the Berliner Rennverein, and even today the old ticket booths survive on Jesse-Owens-Allee. The government of Germany decided not to build on the nearby Grunewald forest, or to renovate buildings that already existed. Because of this desire, they hired the same architect who originally had built the “Rennverein”, Otto March.

March decided to bury the stadium in the ground (”Erdstadion”, in German). The project became the biggest sports stadium in the world at that time with a capacity of 40,000 spectators.

However, the Olympic Games of 1916 were cancelled due to World War I. After this conflict, a school was founded in the vicinity of the Stadium, dedicated to the teaching of professors of physical education and the study of sport science. From 1926 to 1929, Otto March’s sons (Werner and Walter) were assigned to build an annex for these institutions: the “Deutsches Sportforum” (German Sportforum), though the construction was intermittent because the project had little financial support.

1936: Reichssportfeld (sport field of the Reich)

In 1931 the International Olympic Committee made Berlin the host city of the 11th Summer Olympics.

Originally, the German government decided merely to restore the earlier Olympiastadion (German Stadium) of 1916, with Werner March again retained to do this.

When the Nazis came to power in Germany (1933), they decided to use the Olympic Games for propaganda purposes. With these plans in mind, Hitler ordered the construction of a great sports complex in Grunewald named the “Reichssportfeld” with a totally new Olympiastadion. Architect Werner March remained in charge of the project, assisted by his brother Walter March.

Construction took place from 1934 to 1936. When the Reichssportfeld was finished, it was 1.32 square kilometres (326 acres) and had a symmetrical layout. It consisted of (east to west): the Olympiastadion, the Maifeld (Mayfield) (capacity of 50,000) and the Waldbühne amphitheater (capacity of 25,000), in addition to 150 buildings for different sports such as swimming, equestrian events, and field hockey).

Olympiastadion

Over the original Deutsches Stadion, Werner March built the new Olympiastadion, once again with the lower half of the structure buried 12 metres underground.

The capacity of the Olympiastadion reached 110,000 spectators. It also possessed a VIP stand for Adolf Hitler and his political associates. At its end, aligned with the symmetrically-designed layout of the buildings of the Olympischer Platz and toward the Maifeld, was the “Marathontor” (Marathon Arch) with a big receptacle for the Olympic Flame.

Maifeld

Maifeld (Mayfield) was created as a huge lawn (112,000 square metres, 28 acres) for gymnastic demonstrations, specifically annual May Day celebrations by Hitler’s government.

Maifeld was surrounded by 19 metres of land elevation (62 feet), even though the Olympiastadion (to the east) was only 17 metres (55 feet) high.

The total capacity was 250,000 people, with 60,000 in the large stands that extended at the west end. Also located there were the Langemarck-Halle (below) and the Glockenturm (rising high).

The walls were built with sturdy stone from the area of the Lower Alps, and also feature equine sculptures (work of Josef Wackerle).

During the 1936 Olympics the Maifeld was used for polo events and several allegorical Nazi gymnastic demonstrations.

Glockenturm, the Bell Tower

This tower crowned the western end of the Reichs Sportfield planted amid the tiers of the Maifeld stands. It was 77 metres (247 feet) high. From its peak could be observed the whole city of Berlin. During the games it was used as observation post by administrators and police officials, doctors and the media.

In the tower was the Olympic Bell. On its surface, the Nazi regime engraved the five Olympic Rings, a motto (”I summon the youth of the world Olympic Games 1936″), the Brandenburg Gate and an Eagle.

The Langemarck-Halle

This consisted of huge halls built under the stands of the Maifeld. Pillars were raised on which hung flags and shields commemorating all the forces that participated in a battle fought in Langemarck (West Flanders, Belgium) on November 10, 1914, during the First World War.

Waldbühne, the Forest Theatre

The Waldbühne was built by using the glacial river banks of the Berlin Urstromtal. Reproduction of the old theater of Epidaurus (3rd century BC). The theater was then named “Dietrich-Eckart-Bühne” in homage to Dietrich Eckart.

Seating for 22,000 spectators goes down to a depth of 30 metres (97 feet); in the middle section once stood Adolf Hitler’s box. The surroundings were decorated with statues by Adolf Wamper. During the Olympics gymnastics competitions and a myriad of cultural programs were staged in the Waldbühne.

Berlin, 1936 Summer Olympics

On August 1, 1936, the Olympics were officially inaugurated by Dictator Adolf Hitler, and the Olympic Flame was lit by the athlete Fritz Schilgen.

While the Olympic Flame had been used for the first time in Amsterdam 1928, in Berlin 1936 a marathon-like tour of the Olympic Torch was introduced, from Olympia in Greece, crossing six frontiers with a journey of 3000 km to Berlin, through Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Germany. The original idea of this Olympic torch relay was Carl Diem’s, who was a notorious political advisor in Germany specializing in Olympic affairs.

Four million tickets were sold for all the events of the 1936 Summer Olympics. This was also the first Olympics with television transmission (25 giant screens were scattered all over Berlin) and radio transmissions in 28 languages (with 20 radio vans and 300 microphones).

Among the sport competitions one of the most memorable events was the performance of the African-American track and field athlete Jesse Owens, representing the United States of America. Owens was awarded the gold medal in 4 categories: 100 metres, 200 metres, long jump and 4 x 100 metres relay.

1939 to 1945: World War II

The Olympiastadion was one of the few buildings that survived not just in a recognizable form, but almost untouched after the Second World War. It only suffered the impact of machine gun shots.

The most notorious battle around the Olympiastadion was in April 1945 when the Soviet army fought to capture it. This was during the great final battle of the Second World War in Europe, with the total invasion of Berlin as the Allies’ target.

The only part of the Olympischer Platz that was destroyed was the Glockenturm Tower. The Third Reich used this structure to store archives (such as films). The Soviet troops set all its contents on fire, turning the tower into a makeshift chimney. The structure emerged from the fire severely damaged and weakened.

In 1947 British engineers demolished the tower once and for all. The Olympic Bell (which had survived the fire and remained in its place in the tower), fell 77 metres and cracked. In 1956 the bell was rescued in order to be used as a practice target for shooting with anti-tank ammunition and has been unable to sound since then. The cracked bell survives to this day.

1945 to 1994: Occupied Berlin

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. (help, get involved!)
Any material not supported by sources may be challenged and removed at any time. This article has been tagged since February 2007.

After the war, the Olympischer Platz was used as a headquarters by the military occupation forces of the UK.

The British forces settled in the places built by the March siblings (back in the 1920s), which the Third Reich had used for official sport organisations like the Reichs Academy of Physical Training and the House of German Sports. Soon the Occupation started a careful reconstruction of the general facilities. From then until 1994, British forces held an annual celebration of Sovereign Day in the Maifeld with thousands of spectators from Berlin present.

During these years Bundesliga (football) matches were played in the Olympiastadion, with Hertha BSC Berlin as local team. In the Maifeld several competitions of football, rugby and polo were staged too. In the summers the Waldbühne resumed its concerts of classical music, as well the showing movies. The theatre was also used as an improvised ring for boxing matches.

The restoration of the “Glockenturm” was carried out from 1960 to 1962, once again by the architect Werner March, following the original blueprints. The new tower became an important tourist destination offering a panorama of Berlin, Spandau, the Havel Valley, Potsdam, Nauen, and Hennigsdorf.

Hertha BSC Berlin

In 1963 the Bundesliga was formed, and Hertha BSC participated by direct invitation, leaving its old stadium (the “Plumpe”) to use the Olympiastadion. In August 24 it played the first local match against FC Nuremberg, with the final score 1:1. However, in 1965 the German Football Association DFB found Hertha BSC guilty of bribery and relegated them to the Regional Leagues. Hertha had illegally bribed several football players in an attempt to add them to the team, following their disinterest in playing in Berlin because of the construction of the Berlin Wall (1961). In 1968 Hertha returned to the first division, and to the Olympiastadion, and in 1971 sold “Plumpe”. The second half of 1970s was quite successful for Hertha BSC Berlin. In 1979 it reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup, but was defeated by Red Star Belgrade. Hertha reached the finals of the German Cup twice (1977 & 1979).

In the 1980s Hertha had a declining role in the Bundesliga, and fell to the Regional Leagues in 1986, although they later recovered reaching the Second Division (1988-1989).

With the demolition of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, a spontaneous feeling of sympathy between Hertha and FC Union from Eastern Berlin arose, which culminated in a friendly match at the Olympiastadion with 50,000 spectators (January 27, 1990).

In 1990 Hertha returned to the first division, although it fell again to the Second League from 1991 until 1997.

Since 1997 the club has improved greatly, climbing up the Bundesliga table and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, with matches against top European teams like Chelsea and A.C. Milan, increasing the international prestige of the club.

1974 FIFA World Cup

Some matches of Group A (West Germany, Chile, East Germany and Australia) of the 1974 FIFA World Cup were played in the Olympiastadion. The third match, Australia vs Chile, was played in torrential rain. The hosts, West Germany, won the tournament.

1994 to 2005

In 1998 Berliners debated the destiny of the Olympiastadion in light of the legacy it represented for Germany.

Some wanted to tear the stadium down and build a new one from scratch, while others favoured letting it slowly crumble “like the Colisseum in Rome”.

Finally, it was decided to renovate the Olympiastadion. FIFA then chose it as one of the venues of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The State of Berlin hired a consortium composed of WALTER BAU-AG and DYWIDAG that won the €45 million franchise. The consortium took charge of the operation of the facilities together with Hertha BSC and the Government of Berlin after the remodelling.

In July 3 2000, the renovation began with a ceremony presided over by the Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, accompanied by Eberhard Diepgen (Berlin Mayor), Franz Beckenbauer and Prof. Dr. Ignaz Walter.

Technical details

70,000 cubic metres (2.5 million cu. ft.) of concrete and 20,000 cubic metres (700,000 cu. ft.) of pre-cast reinforced concrete elements were used. 12,000 cubic metres (424,000 cu. ft.) of concrete was demolished and removed and 30,000 cubic metres (1.1 million cu. ft.) of natural stone was refurbished.

The roof was extended, to cover a total of 37,000 square metres. With 20 roof-supporting columns carrying a weight of 3,500 tons of steel.

With the intention to create a more intimate atmosphere for football games the playing field was lowered (even more) by 2.65 metres (9 feet); approximately 90,000 cubic metres (3.2 million cu. ft.) of sand was excavated. The lower tier of seating in the stadium was demolished and rebuilt at a completely different angle of inclination.

The conservation factor of the Olympiastadion as a historical monument was also considered, especially with respect to the preservation of the natural stone blocks. Deserving a separate comment the critics that caused the change of the colour of the athletics track around the game field from red to blue.

The renovation

The inauguration celebrations of the new Olympic Stadium were carried out on July 31, 2004 and August 1, 2004. On that day, Saturday, the party began with performances from Pink, Nena (99 Red Ballons) and Daniel Barenboim. It culminated at night with the opening ceremony.

On day two, friendly matches were played between different categories of the club Hertha BSC and visiting teams. On September 8, 2004 Brazil played Germany.

The new Olympic Stadium seated 76,000, second most in Germany behind Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park (formerly Westfalenstadion).

The roof rises 68 metres over the seats and is made up of transparent panels that allow sunlight to stream in during the day. The western portion (on the Marathon Arch) is open to reveal the “Glockenturm” to the spectators.

The Olympiastadion was equipped with the latest technology in artificial illumination and sound equipment. It has 113 VIP stands, a set of restaurants, and two underground garages (for 630 cars).

The total cost of the remodeling and amplification was 242 million euros.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Hertha BSC Berlin official website
Deutscher Fußball-Bund
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

	Capacity		22,500
	Opened		1958

The BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.

The stadium was originally known as Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion (English: Ulrich Haberland Stadium), named after a former chairman of Bayer AG, the club’s founders. Its original capacity was 20,000. In 1986, a rebuilding project began to convert it into a modern facility; the project continued intermittently over the following decade. The project was completed in 1997, making the stadium an ultramodern all-seater with a capacity of 22,500. The stadium was renamed BayArena in 1998.

In 1999, a hotel attached to the stadium was completed, with some rooms having a view of the pitch. The stadium complex also includes a high-class restaurant, which also overlooks the pitch, and conference facilities.

The city of Leverkusen originally bid to become a venue for the 2006 World Cup, with an expanded BayArena as the site. However, the city, Bayer Leverkusen, and the German organizing committee soon agreed that expanding BayArena to the FIFA-mandated minimum 40,000 capacity for World Cup matches would not be practical, and the city withdrew its bid. Instead, it was agreed that BayArena would be the main training facility for the German national team during the 2006 finals. Jürgen Klinsmann, former national coach, however decided against Leverkusen and opted for Berlin as main training facility. BayArena will supposedly host two national matches as compensation.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Bayer 04 Leverkusen official website
Deutscher Fußball-Bund
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Germany.

The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern München and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005/06 season. Both clubs had previously played their home games at the Munich Olympic Stadium; FC Bayern München since 1972 and TSV 1860 München since the 1990s.

The Allianz group, a large financial services provider, bought the rights to name the arena for 30 years, but it was nevertheless known as “FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich” during the 2006 World Cup, since FIFA does not allow sponsorship of stadium names that conflict with its own sponsorship deals. Bayern München are also required to cover up the stadium name during UEFA Champions League or UEFA Cup games due to similar restrictions of UEFA. During UEFA-organised games, the stadium is therefore known as Fussball Arena München.

Within a few months of opening day, the distinctive shape of the Allianz Arena had inspired the nickname Schlauchboot (”inflatable boat”) by which it is now commonly known.

	Capacity		66,000
	Opened		May 30th 2005

Capacity

Effective with the city’s approval of modifications that was granted January 16, 2006, the legal capacity of the stadium has increased from 66,000 to 69,901 spectators (including standing room). The lower tier can seat up to 20,000, the middle tier up to 24,000, and the upper tier up to 22,000. 10,400 of the seats in the lower tier corners can be converted to standing room to allow an additional 3,120 spectators. The total capacity includes 2,200 business seats, 400 seats for the press, 106 luxury boxes with seating for up to 1,374 and 165 berths for wheel chairs and the like. From the second half of the 2005-06 Bundesliga season, the arena will be able to accommodate 69,901 spectators at league and German Cup games, but because of UEFA regulations, the capacity will remain at 66,000 seats for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup games. The partial roof covers all seats, although winds can still blow rain onto some of them.

Allianz Arena also offers three day-care centers, two fan shops, the FC Bayern München Megastore and the TSV 1860 München Allianz Arena Megastore. Merchandise is offered at stands all along the inside of the exterior wall inside the area behind the seats. Numerous restaurants and fast food establishments are also located around the stadium.

There are four team locker rooms (one each for the two home teams and their respective opponents), four coaches’ locker rooms and two locker rooms for referees. Two areas are provided where athletes can warm up (approx. 110 m² each). There are also 550 toilets and 190 monitors in the arena.

Dimensions

* Stadium: 258 m x 227 m x 50 m
* Playing level: 120 m x 83 m
* Gross grass area: 111 m x 72 m
* Playing field: 105 m x 68 m
* Parking garage: 270,000 m²

Construction

* Total concrete used during stadium construction: 120,000 m³
* Total concrete used for the parking garage: 85,000 m³
* Total steel used during stadium construction: 22,000 tonnes
* Total steel used for the parking garage: 14,000 tonnes

The arena facade is constructed of 2,874 ETFE-foil air panels that are kept inflated with dry air to a differential pressure of 0.038 hPa. The panels appear white from far away but when examined closely, there are little dots on the panels. When you view the panel from far away, your eye combines the little dots and sees white. When you look at it close up, you can see through the foil. The foil has a thickness of 0.2 mm. Each panel can be independently lit with white, red, or blue light. The intention is to light the panels at each game with the colors of the respective home team, or white if the home team is the German national football team. To light Allianz Arena up for one hour, it costs about $66, or 50 Euros. Roller blinds installed under the roof may be drawn during games to provide protection from the sun.

Transport

Patrons may park their cars in Europe’s largest parking structure, comprising four 4-story parking garages with 9,800 parking places. In addition, 1,200 places were built into the first two tiers of the arena, 350 places are available for buses (240 at the north end, and 110 at the south entrance), and 130 more spots are reserved for those with disabilities.

The stadium is located next to the Fröttmaning U-Bahn station. This is on the U6 line of the Munich U-Bahn.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

FC Bayern Munich official website
Deutscher Fußball-Bund
wikipedia entry
Football Ringtones
Bet with Paddy Power

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]