Generali Arena

• AC Sparta Prague

The Generali Arena, formerly Letna Stadium, in the northwestern part of Prague in the Czech Republic is the venue of the soccer club Sparta Prague and the Czech national team. In the stadium are covered 20,374 seats and a few VIP booths available.

History

In 1914, the AC Sparta Prague a place near the water works was put on the Letna area known as provided by the City of Prague. The construction of a stadium lasted three years, on 13 May 1917, opened with a game against Viktoria Plzeň, Sparta won 3-2.

Four years later, it came to the construction of a 1,600-seat equipped with wooden stand, architect was Lev Lauer man, the cost amounted to 900,000 crowns. These were the largest at that time tribune of its kind in Central Europe. It was opened to the game against the Danish champions Copenhagen KB, which decided the Czechs 2-0 for itself.

Since the success of the team attracted more and more viewers, it was decided in 1934 to increase the capacity of around 25,000 to 45,000. The work was in full swing, but on April 10, 1934 burned down the Grandstand, with it, the club archive and trophy collection was destroyed. How the fire was triggered is still unclear. One speculation is that the fire was caused by a short circuit, a different theory is based on an overheated stove from. The damage was in the millions, the sum insured was only 650.000 crowns, according to media. Twenty months later, a new reinforced concrete grandstand was completed instead of the burnt wooden stand.

In the last days of the war in 1945, the stadium was badly damaged, but subsequently restored.

In the years 1967-1969 there was a comprehensive reconstruction of the stadium. With the exception of the main grandstand all remaining stands were replaced by reinforced concrete structures. About the first rank with standing room was a second place with seats, a sort of gallery built. The official opening of the renovated stadium took place on 7 May 1969. In a night match Sparta Prague defeated the Austrian champions FK Austria Wien 1-2. The new capacity of the construction amounted to 35,800 spectators.

After the Velvet Revolution, the entrepreneur Petr Mach took over the club and the stadium was reconstructed in 1994 without planning permission in just seven months by the company Metrostav. The capacity dropped to 21,362 seats, the stadium was now a so-called all- Seater. The opening took place on September 9, 1994, at the Prague derby Sparta and Slavia parted goalless.

2001 a soil heating was installed and a new lawn laid.

On March 24, 2007 first played the German national soccer team in the European Championship qualifier against the Czech team in the AXA Arena, winning 2-1 (1-0 ).

From fall 2004 until June 2007, the stadium was the name Toyota Arena. In July 2007, the French insurance company AXA acquired the naming rights to the stadium. Since July 2009, the stadium is named Generali Arena.

In the near future at the same place, the existing stadium would be demolished, the national stadium of the Czech Football Association will be built with a capacity of 40,000 spectators.