Santiago Bernabeu

In the early parts of the 20th century, Real Madrid first played at Campo De O’Donnell, but then moved to the larger Campo de Chamartín in 1924.
In 1943, Chamartin had already become too small again, and club-president Santiago Bernabéu decided that Madrid needed a new and modern 100,000-stadium.
This new stadium got built at the same site of Campo de Chamartín. Construction began in 1945, and on the 14th of December 1947 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu officially opened with a match against Portuguese champions OS Belenenses (3-1).
The stadium was initially still called Nuevo Estadio Chamartin, but received the name of the club-president eight years later.
At that time, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu consisted of two uncovered tiers that could hold just over 75,000 spectators. Capacity was further increased to 125,000 in 1954, when one of the long sides got expanded with a third tier.
The Bernabéu was together with Camp Nou playing venue of the Euro 1964 Championships, hosting one of the two semi-finals and the final between Spain and the Soviet Union (2-1).
Towards the end of the 1970s, the stadium had already started to age, and at one time even plans were made to build a new stadium in the north of the city.
However, with the perspective of the 1982 World Cup it was instead decided to renovate the Bernabéu, which included the construction of a roof that covered the three two-tiered stands and the installation of seats in half of the stadium. As a result, capacity was reduced to 90,800 places.
During the 1986 World Cup, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu hosted three matches in the second group stage and the final between Italy and West Germany (3-1).
In the 1990s, UEFA required the stadium to become an all-seater, which would have reduced capacity to 50,000 seats. Club president Mendoza therefore started an extensive redevelopment program that included extending the third tier over the entire stadium, the creation of corporate facilities, and four access towers in each corner of the stadium. Works started in 1992 and were completed two years later.
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu got further refurbished an upgraded between 2001 and 2006. Works most of all focused on improving corporate facilities, and were concluded in 2006 with the construction of a roof over the one remaining uncovered stand.
In its history, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu has hosted four European Cup and Champions League finals. The first final was in 1957 between Real Madrid and Fiorentina (2-0), the second in 1969 between AC Milan and Ajax (4-1), the third in 1980 between Nottingham Forest and Hamburg (1-0), and the last one in 2010 between Internazionale and Bayern Munich (2-0).
Real Madrid recently presented plans to further upgrade the stadium with commercial and corporate facilities, and to increase capacity to over 90,000 seats. This will be done by renovating the stand facing the Paseo de la Castellana avenue. The club hopes to conclude the works in 2015.

The Spirit of Azteca

Estadio Azteca was built in the 1960s to accommodate the growing support of Club América and to provide Mexico with a flagship venue for the upcoming 1970 World Cup.
Estadio Azteca got designed by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez after a careful study of the most famous European stadiums of that time. Construction of the stadium, which took a total of 4 years, was not easy due to the hard volcanic rock the land consisted of.
Estadio Azteca officially opened on the 29th of May 1966 with a friendly match between América and Italian side Torino (2-2).
During the 1970 World Cup it hosted a total of 10 matches, among which a semi-final and the final between Brazil and Italy (4-1).
Sixteen years later, Estadio Azteca again hosted a World Cup final, and it has thus far been the only stadium to host two World Cup finals (Maracanã will receive the same honour in 2014).
The stadium had received a small refurbishment before the start of the World Cup, and went on to host 9 matches, among which the famous quarter-final between Argentina and England (2-1), a semi-final, and the final between Argentina and Germany (3-2).
Due to safety measures the capacity of the stadium, which could hold 115,000 spectators in 1986, has been slightly reduced to its current total of 104,000.
Apart from being the home of América, Estadio Azteca is also the standard playing venue for official matches of the Mexican national team. Over the years it has also been the home of various other Mexican clubs, such as Cruz Azul and Necaxa.

San Siro From Italy

Stadio San Siro was a project of AC Milan president Piero Pirelli. In the first two decades of the 20th century, Milan had already occupied various grounds and by the early 1920s played at a ground at the Viale Lombardia.
Though a perfectly fine ground, it soon turned out to be too small for the club’s growing number of fans, and therefore architect Stacchini, also responsible for Milan’s central station, was hired to design a complete new stadium.
Stadio San Siro officially opened on the 19th of September 1926 with a friendly between Milan and Inter (3-6). The stadium initially consisted of four separate stands and could hold 35,000 spectators.
San Siro was first owned by AC Milan, but was sold to the city of Milan in 1935, who were soon forced too enlarge the stadium due to the club’s increasing popularity.
Plans were made for a massive stadium for 150,000 spectators, but were in the end significantly scaled down. The redeveloped San Siro opened in 1939, and consisted of one fully enclosed tier.
Until 1945, Milan had been the sole occupant of San Siro, but were then joined by Inter, who had before played at the Arena Civica.
San Siro got further expanded in 1955 when a second tier got built on top of the first one, which resulted in a capacity of about 85,000 places.
In the following decades, San Siro hosted two European Cup finals, the first in 1965 between Inter and Benfica (1-0), and the second in 1970 between Feyenoord and Celtic (2-1).
The stadium had earlier gotten ignored as a playing venue for Euro 1968, but did get selected as a venue for Euro 1980. At the same time it got officially renamed Stadio Guiseppe Meazza, in honour of the ex-player of Inter as well as AC Milan.
During the 1980 European championships, San Siro hosted three first round group matches.
Soon after, Italy got awarded the 1990 World Cup, and it became clear that a major upgrade was needed. For a moment, the option of building a new stadium was contemplated, but the architects Giancarlo Ragazzi, Enrico Hoffer, and Leo Finzi instead chose for an ambitious redevelopment plan.
Works included the construction of a third tier, a roof that would cover all seats, and eleven cylindrical concrete towers around the stadium to support the extra tier and roof structure. The resulting capacity was 85,700 seats.
During the World Cup, San Siro hosted the opening match between Argentina and Cameroon (0-1), three further group matches, a round of 16 match, and the quarter-final between Germany FR and Czechoslovakia (1-0).
The stadium got further refurbished in later years, and capacity reduced slightly due to UEFA safety requirements. In 2001, it hosted the Champions League final between FC Bayern and Valencia (1-1).
In early 2012, Inter announced the intention to build a new club-owned stadium, which they hope to move into in 2016. Further details are expected later in 2012. AC Milan is likely to stay at San Siro.

Luzhniki From Russia

Luzhniki Stadium, earlier called Central Lenin Stadium, was built between 1955 and 1956. It was the result of the ambition of the Soviet leadership to upgrade the country’s sports facilities after the Soviet Union had tasted its first post-war successes at the 1952 Olympics.
Works on the Luzhniki Olympic complex started in 1954 and construction of its centrepiece stadium, also called the Grand Sports Arena, in 1955. The stadium got finished in just 450 days and officially opened on the 31st of July 1956.
Luzhniki Stadium served as the centrepiece stadium of the 1980 Olympics, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics events, football finals, and equestrian programme.
In 1982, a stadium disaster took place at the stadium during a second round UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak and Dutch side HFC Haarlem. In the dying seconds of the match people started rushing for the exits to make it to the metro before the rest of the crowd. When someone fell at the icy staircases, chaos ensued, and the resulting crush and domino effect killed 66 people.
Until the 1990s the roofless stadium could hold just over 100,000 spectators. In 1996, the stadium got extensively renovated, which included the construction of a roof over the stands and the refurbishment of the seating areas, which resulted in a decrease of capacity.
In 1999 Luzhniki Stadium hosted the UEFA Cup final between Parma and Marseille (3-0), and in 2008 the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea (1-1).
The stadium is currently the regular home by FC Spartak, but also occasionally used by PFC CSKA. Spartak is currently building a new club-owned stadium that is expected to open in 2014.
Luzhniki Stadium is set to be the playing venue of the 2018 World Cup. It is likely to get thoroughly renovated for the event, though concrete plans have not yet been presented.

Estadio Do Dragao

Estádio do Dragão was built to provide FC Porto with a modern home and Euro 2004 with one of its flagship venues. It replaced FC Porto’s old Estádio das Antas.
Estádio do Dragão is estimated to have cost €98 million. It officially opened on the 16th of November 2003 with a friendly between FC Porto and Barcelona (2-0), which was the debut of Lionel Messi in Barcelona’s first team.
During the Euro 2004 tournament, Estádio do Dragão hosted, among others, the opening match, another two group matches, a quarter-final, and the semi-final between Greece and the Czech Republic (1-0).

Estádio do Dragão is located just under 4 kilometres north-east of Porto’s historic centre.
It sits directly adjacent to the motorway that circles the heart of the city (Via de Cintura Interna). Take the exit that is marked with the sign Estádio.
If using public transport, the stadium can be easily reached by metro. The stadium is served by line A, B, E and F, which can all be boarded just north of the historic centre, for example at stop Trindade or Bolhão.
One can also first get on line D at one of the city centre stops (or train station São Bento), and then transfer to one of the above lines at Trindade. Get off at station Estádio do Dragão, which for most lines is also the last one.

Maracana Stadium, Brazil

The gigantic Maracanã Stadium was built to open the 1950 World Cup.  It holds the record for the largest attendance at a World cup final as 199,854 paying spectators crammed into the stadium and many more besides.
If you’re after the intense Brazilian football experience complete with the drums, flares, and chanting, then get to a game; otherwise the sports museum inside the stadium with photographs, cups, and Pele’s famous no. 10 jersey is a more sedate experience (enter at Gate 18).
Its official name is 'Mário Filho Stadium' but it's called 'Maracanã' after the small river that runs alongside. In the 1990s it was modified to become an all-seated stadium and now holds under 100,000.
The four main teams of the city play here and it will host the opening of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies. It is being renovated for these events (scheduled to reopen in 2012) and will finally hold around 103,000 spectators.

Boca Juniors, La Bombonera

The Boca Juniors’ Club soccer stadium, popularly known as “La Bombonera”, is with no doubt the most popular one in the country and the one that has more fanatics throughout the world. Its supporters called themselves "La Mitad Más Uno", in reference to the proportion of fans with regard to the total quantity of the country (in fact, the porcentage is a bit lower than 50 %). Boca obtained national and international triumphs throughout history and it is the winnest of South America of the last decade. It is this way, Boca Juniors has turned an international brand and a lot of foreign tourists arrive in Argentina just to see the team in action in this mithycal stadium, where the extreme support of the fans is the biggest attraction. The Club has the pride to have been one of the teams where Diego Armando Maradona played. Maradona is considered vy the specalists as the best soccer player ever in the planet. Maradona is the fan number one of Boca and it is possible to see him in his box seat in almost every game. He has or maybe because it gave birth to famous soccer players who obtained national and international triumphs throughout history. It has a superimposed floor structure that resembles a “box of chocolates” which gave origin to its popular name. Here, while in a full house match, specially when the Boca-River Super Classic is played, the song from the tribunes becomes deafening sounds. It is not a myth the fact that every time the fans jump in the unison to support the team, "The Bombonera shakes". To this, owes its fame of being one of the most difficult stadiums for the visitors teams due to the pressure exerted by the supporters during the match. Blue and yellow, the colours that represent the team, have their own history. It is said that the group of young founders of the club, when they had to choose the colors that would identify the institution, they decided to take the colours from the first boat passing by the Riachuelo. It turned out to be a Swedish boat (which has a blue and yellowed flag). The stadium was inaugurated in 1940 and it has a seating capacity of 40,000 people. Nowadays it can contain up to 60,000 people. In its outer façade, a mural by the famous painter Pérez Celis can be observed and it has a representation of the typical life and characters of La Boca. The facilities of the staduim include since a few years ago a museum that preseerves the memory of the great glories of the club´s history.

Stade De France, Les Blues National Stadium

Stade de France is the largest stadium in France and the stadium where the French national team plays its most important home matches.
Stade de France got built to serve as the centrepiece of the 1998 World Cup. At that time no stadium in France had a capacity of over 45,000 and the tournament needed a 70,000+ stadium.
Construction of the stadium began in 1995 and after 31 months, on the 28th of January 1998, it officially opened with a friendly match between the national teams of France and Spain. Zinedine Zidane scored the first and only goal of the match.
During the 1998 World Cup the Stade de France hosted nine matches, among which the opening match between Brazil and Scotland (2-1), the semi-final between France and Croatia (2-1), and the final between France and Brazil (3-0).
The stadium has also hosted two Champions League finals, the first in 2000 between Real Madrid and Valencia (3-0), and the second in 2006 between Barcelona and Arsenal (2-1).
Stade de France is expected to again host the final of a major tournament when in 2016 the European Championships are played in France.

Amsterdam Arena

The Amsterdam ArenA was built between 1993 and 1996. It replaced Ajax’s previous home De Meer, which, with a capacity of 19,000 seats, had become too small for the club.
The Amsterdam ArenA officially opened on the 14th of August 1996 with a match between Ajax and AC Milan (0-3). The first goal in the new arena was scored by Dejan Savicevic. Total construction costs had amounted to €96 million.
The Amsterdam ArenA was the first football stadium in Europe with a retractable roof. It takes about 20 minutes to open or close the roof.
Shortly after the opening, it turned out that the stadium design had not accounted for good grass growing conditions, and as a result the pitch had to get renewed up to 5 times a year. These problems were later resolved with the installation of innovative grass growing technology, consisting of a combination of lamps, wind turbines, and water sprinklers.
The Amsterdam ArenA counts with a total of 2,229 business seats and a further 820 seats in sky boxes. The stands are among the steepest in Europe, with the second tier having an angle of 37 degrees.
In 1998, the stadium hosted the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Juventus (1-0). It is set to host the Europa League final in 2013.
The Amsterdam ArenA was one of the playing venues of the Euro 2000 championships, hosting three group match, a quarter-final, and the semi-final between Holland and Italy (0-0).
In recent years plans were made to increase the capacity of the arena, but these were attached to a Dutch-Belgian 2018 World Cup bid, and now this bid has failed they are unlikely to get executed.

Barcelona, the greatest Camp Nou

Camp Nou was built between 1954 and 1957, and officially opened on the 24th of September 1957 with a match between FC Barcelona and a selection of players from the city of Warsaw.

The stadium replaced Barcelona’s previous ground Camp de les Corts, which, though it could hold 60,000 supporters, was still too small for the growing number of fans. 

Camp Nou initially consisted of two tiers that could hold 93,000 spectators. It was first called Estadi del FC Barcelona, but got soon referred to as Camp Nou.
The stadium was, together with Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, playing venue of the Euro 1964 Championships. It hosted the semi-final between the Soviet Union and Denmark (3-0), and the match for third place between Hungary and the same Denmark (3-1).
The stadium hosted two Cup Winners’ Cup finals in the following decades, the first in 1972 between Rangers FC and Dynamo Moscow (3-2), and the second in 1980 between Barcelona and Standard de Liège (2-1).
Camp Nou got expanded with a third tier for the 1982 World Cup, which raised capacity to 120,000 places. During the World Cup, it hosted the opening match between Belgium and Argentina (1-0), three matches in the second group stage, and the semi-final between Italy and Poland (2-0).
In 1989, Camp Nou hosted the European Cup final between AC Milan and FC Steaua (4-0), which was followed in 1999 by the Champions League final between Manchester United and FC Bayern (2-1).
In the early 1990s, Barcelona started converting various standing areas into seating, which reduced capacity, though additional seats were created by lowering the pitch.
Until the late 1990s, Camp Nou still had some standing areas at the top of the third tier, but these were finally eliminated, reducing capacity to just below 100,000.
In contrast to the Bernabéu, Camp Nou has changed relatively little since its inauguration, and lacks many of the modern facilities common in most stadiums these days. For the last decade, Barcelona has therefore been investigating either redeveloping Camp Nou, or even building a completely new stadium.
In the mid 2000s, the club presented plans for a renovated Camp Nou, designed by Norman Foster, but a lack of funding prevented realisation. The club recently announced to be studying a move to a new stadium, but later decided to postpone any decision due to the insecure economical situation.

Galatasaray, Turk Telekom Arena

The Türk Telekom Arena replaced Galatasaray’s old Ali Sami Yen, which by the 2000s had significantly aged and lacked many modern facilities. The club first investigated building a new stadium at the site of the Ali Sami Yen, but later chose to build a new stadium at a different location instead.
Construction of the Türk Telekom began late 2007 and came at a cost of an estimated €160 million. The stadium officially opened on the 15th of January 2011 with a match between Galatasaray and Ajax (0-0).
The Türk Telekom Arena has a total of 5,500 VIP seats and a further 157 executive boxes. The naming rights of the stadium were sold to telecommunications firm Türk Telekom for a period of 10 years.
The Türk Telekom Arena is located on the northern edge of Istanbul, on the European side of the city close to the Levant and Maslak business districts. Istanbul’s historic centre lies about 12 kilometres away.
The arena is best reached by metro. Stop Seyrantepe, which branches off metro line 2, is a short walk away from the stadium. You can catch line 2 at station Sishane or Taksim at the northern edge of the city centre.

The Empire Of Arsenal

This is like a new empire of Emirates. With 60.361 Capasitors, The Emirates Stadium replaced Arsenal’s previous home Highbury, which had become too small and lacked the possiblities for expansion being hemmed in by housing.


First plans for the construction of a new stadium were made in the late 1990s, but also a move to the new Wembley Stadium was considered.
In the end a site was chosen just a few hundred yards away from Highbury, and, after a few delays, construction of the stadium started in 2004. The total project budget amounted to £390 million.
The Emirates Stadium officially opened on the 23rd of July 2006. The first match was a testimonial match for Dennis Bergkamp featuring an Arsenal and Ajax side.
Due to the competition of nearby Wembley Stadium, the Emirates Stadium has never hosted the English national team, however the Brazilian national team has regularly staged friendlies at the stadium.
The Emirates Stadium is located in the Islington area, slightly north of the centre of London and just over 2 miles north from Kings Cross St Pancras railway station.
The stadium is best reached by metro. The nearest tube station is Arsenal, on the Piccadilly line. Alternatives are stations Finsbury Park (Victoria and Piccadilly line) and Highbury & Islington (Victoria line and North London Line). From both stations it is a 10-minute walk to the stadium. Holloway Road and Drayton Park stations will be closed pre-match and are exit-only after the match.
Finsbury Park and Highbury & Islington stations can also be reached by train. It is a 5-minute journey coming from either Kings Cross or Moorgate station.
Supporters are not advised to arrive by car on matchdays, and there is little parking available around the Emirates Stadium on non-matchdays

Olimpico, The Empire Gladiator of Rome

Stadio Olimpico was built to serve as the centrepiece of the Foro Italia sports complex, a project initiated by the fascist regime of Mussolini.
Construction started in 1928 and a first tier had been finished in 1932. Works on the second tier were halted though due to the outbreak of the Second World War and were only resumed in December 1950.
Stadio Olimpico officially opened on the 17th of May 1953 with a match between the national teams of Italy and Hungary. Capacity amounted to 100,000 at that time, which constituted mainly of terraces.
Stadio Olimpico served as the centrepiece stadium for the 1960 Olympics, and for this all terraces got converted into seats, resulting in a capacity of 53,000 seats. During the Games, the stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics competitions.
Eight years later, Stadio Olimpico was the principal venue of the Euro 1968 Championships, during which it hosted the match for third place and the final between Italy and Yugoslavia (2-0 after a replay)
Stadio Olimpico remained largely unchanged until it again was the playing venue of a European Championships, this time the tournament in 1980. It hosted three group matches and the final between West-Germany and Belgium (2-1).
In those years, it hosted twice a European Cup final, the first in 1977 between Liverpool and Borussia Mönchengladbach (3-1) and the second in 1984 between again Liverpool and AS Roma (1-1).
When Italy got awarded the 1990 World Cup, it was clear that the stadium needed a massive renovation. While initial plans aimed only to refurbish the stadium, a few redesigns later an almost complete new stadium had been built. The stands were now much closer to the pitch and the stadium had been equipped with a roof. This resulted in a capacity of 74,000 seats.
During the World Cup, Stadio Olimpico hosted all three of Italy’s group matches, Italy’s round of 16 match and quarter-final, and the final between Germany FR and Argentina (1-0).
In later years, the stadium hosted two more Champions League finals, the first in 1996 between Juventus and Ajax (1-1) and the second in 2009 between Barcelona and Manchester United (2-0).
Stadio Olimpico underwent a last refurbishment in 2007 to keep it eligible to host future Champions League finals. This included, among others, the replacement of all seats.
Both AS Roma and Lazio have at times expressed unease at playing in the too-large CONI-owned stadium. In the mid 2000s, Lazio had plans to move to a new stadium, but these came to nothing.
AS Roma currently has concrete plans to build a new stadium and is expected to reveal further details in the second half of 2012. They hope to open their new stadium in 2015 or 2016.

Theatre Of Dreams From Manchester

In March 1909, Manchester United chairman and general benefactor, John Henry Davies, funded the purchase of a piece of land between the canal and the railway at Trafford Park. Archibald Leitch was appointed architect and plans were drawn for the construction of a large, lavish football stadium. Old Trafford, as it was duly named, was built in under a year and opened on 19 February 1910. With a capacity of 60,000 and a 13,000 seat Main Stand, it was thought to be the best stadium in the country. Debts incurred in building the new stadium meant it was some time before further developed could be afforded. It wasn’t until the 1930s that roofs were added to other parts of the ground. The ‘popular side’, opposite the Main Stand, got a roof in 1936 and the corners next to the main stand became covered in 1938. Sadly, the improved ground then came to grief. During a night of bombing on 11 March 1941 Old Trafford took two direct hits: one virtually demolished the Main Stand and the other destroyed a bank of terracing and left a large crater in the pitch. For the next eight years Manchester United had to play official home games at Maine Road, home of neighbours Manchester City. Old Trafford wasn’t fit to be used again by the first team until August 1949. Even then there was still further work to be done. In the austerity years after the war neither money nor building materials were in plentiful supply. The ground slowly improved during the 1950s. A new roof on the Main Stand was completed in 1951, in 1957 floodlights were erected allowing the playing of evening games and, in 1959, the Stretford End was also covered. In the 1960s many English grounds were improved in readiness for the 1966 World Cup. Manchester United received a grant which helped fund the building of a large new cantilever stand on the ‘popular’ (United Road) side of the ground. Designed by architects Mather and Nutter, it was the first in the country to include private boxes. This stand was later extended to also cover the Scoreboard End and, by the mid-1970s, a cantilever roof also replaced the roof of the Main Stand. In 1974 perimeter fencing began to be erected to keep in exuberant supporters, and shortly afterwards an Executive Suite was created to attract wealthier supporters. In 1987 the floodlight pylons were replaced by lights fitted to the stand roofs. Then, during the 1992-1993 season, the Stretford End was demolished and re-developed to complete a stadium bowl. Just when it seemed Old Trafford was in a finished state, a further process of re-development began. Following the Hillsborough disaster, the Taylor Report recommended the creation of all-seater stadia. This reduced the seating capacity at Old Trafford to just 44,000 at a time when the team’s success was generating greater demand for tickets. In 1995-1996 a new three-tier North Stand was built, designed by Atherden Fuller (formerly Mather and Nutter). Between 1999 and 2000 extra tiers were added to the East Stand and West Stand and in 2005-2006 the north-east and north-west quadrants were filled in. The resulting capacity rose to over 76,000. Old Trafford is now recognised as one of the best football grounds in Europe. It has lately hosted FA Cup semi-finals, a UEFA Champions League final and various international matches. In 2010 Old Trafford celebrated its centenary.

Allianz Arena, Power of Bayern Munich

Following on from the Grünwald Stadium and later the Olympic Stadium, the stunning ground in the north of Munich is the third home venue in Bayern’s long Bundesliga history, and certainly the most spectacular. Europe’s most modern stadium, with a capacity of nearly 70,000, has already established itself in the collective conscience of football fans all over the world within a short timescale.

Visitors continue to be particularly impressed by the facade. 2,760 diamond-shaped cushions form the world’s biggest membrane cladding covering an area of 66,500 m². Even if it is not your first visit, it’s hard to believe the evidence of your own eyes at night matches when the whole stadium appears to be red when viewed from the outside. The three-tier interior of the Allianz Arena has extraordinary acoustics that rapidly turn the stadium into a cauldron when hosting thrilling encounters.

No surprise that the Allianz Arena is nearly always full to the rafters. Last season saw nearly two million fans visit the stadium with all 69,000 seats being sold out for all 17 Bundesliga home games. Bayern’s 27 competitive games attracted 1.824 million fans to the Arena - an average of 67,555 per match, and an incredible attendance record. And this season should also see a take-up rate of 100 percent: shortly after the Bundesliga fixtures were announced at the beginning of July, more than half of Bayern’s league games in the Allianz Arena were sold out.

What brings the fans streaming to Fröttmaning in their tens of thousands? The stars of the mighty Bayern Munich of course. But the fans can also expect to be well looked after, both before and after the game. 6,000 m² of catering facilities take care of culinary requirements. Europe’s biggest multi-storey car park provides nearly 10,000 parking spaces. ?A big plus point for the Arena is its ability to match the needs of a broad range of supporters. There are 13,500 reasonably priced tickets for the standing terraces at Bundesliga games. 2,200 business seats and 106 executive boxes with a total of 1,374 seats provide the perfect surroundings for entertaining and commerce. And everything is done for wheelchair users: there is single level access to all 165 reserved seats.

This architectural wonder was conceived by world-renowned architects Jaques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Particular pride can be taken by the fact that the Allianz Arena was positively welcomed by the Munich public. In a referendum held in the autumn of 2001 an overwhelming majority of 65.8 percent of Munich citizens voted in favour of the construction project. The foundation stone was laid on 21 October 2002. Less than three years later, Bayern Munich faced Germany on 31 May 2005 for the opening match in the Arena.

Bayern are now the sole shareholders in the Allianz Arena. TSV 1860 Munich, who were originally joint occupants of the stadium, are now tenants up to 30 June 2025. According to a survey conducted by political journal “Cicero”, the Allianz Arena is Germany’s favourite sports venue, and one of the top ten national sites of interest in the country just three years after it was built.