Overview of World Cup stadium in Hamburg
11/6/2006 10:53
Following is the overview of FIFA World Cup stadium in Hamburg which
will see its first World Cup game between twice world champions Argentina and
African debutants Cote d'Ivoire on Saturday.
The new stadium in Hamburg,
inaugurated on 2 September 2000 with a match between Germany and Greece, boasts
a capacity of 56,114. The arena officially qualifies as one of the best football
grounds in Europe after earning a maximum five stars from UEFA.
Work on the
new ground started in March 1998: the old Volksparkstadion was demolished in
four stages, the pitch rotated and the stands rebuilt. The function rooms, VIP
and media areas were completely remodelled. All the spectator areas are now
covered. Electronic access controls featuring machine-readable microchip
technology were introduced for the 2005/06 season of the German first division
league (Bundesliga).
The stadium is home to Hamburg SV, the only club
ever-present in the German top-flight throughout the Bundesliga's 42-year
history.
The old Volksparkstadion was reconstructed in 1953 on the debris and
ashes of the previous arena. Germany suffered one of their most painful defeats
in Hamburg , Germany when Jrgen Sparwasser's goal sealed a 1-0 triumph for the
former East Germany at the 1974 FIFA World Cup finals.
However, the cloud had
a silver lining as West Germany thus avoided a play-off against the powerful
Brazilians, and went on to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy for the second time in
their history.
Xinhua
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