Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium

• Panathinaikos Athens

Greek Cup Final 1931, 1933, 1940, 1947-1956, 1958-1961, 1963, 1968, 1991

The Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium (Greek Γήπεδο Απόστολος Νικολαΐδης ) is a pure football stadium in the Greek capital Athens, and in the possession of the sports club Panathinaikos Athens. Bears his name, the stadium commemorating the athletes Apostolos Nikolaidis, who belonged to the club for years and later was its president. Since the 2013/14 season, the football team wears their games for financial reasons again in Leoforos.

Location

The stadium is located in the center of Athens in the district at the foot of Lycabettus Ampelokipi at Leoforos Alexandras.

History

The Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium takes in Greek football history a prominent position.

After the first grandstand was built in 1928, all major national and international meetings of Greek club teams and the national team took place there over the next 50 years. In 1938 it was the first Greek stadium in the possession of a floodlight, and 20 years later in 1958 it was the first stadium in the country a grass surface.

In addition to the football department of Panathinaikos contributed to the almost 80 years of existence, the clubs AEK Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus Apollon Athens, Athens Athinaikos or even the national occasionally their home games at Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium from.

In 1984, also left Panathinaikos the local stadium to move into the then newly built Athens Olympic Stadium " Spyridon Louis ". 2000, they took for 7 million before € modernization work at the stadium and Panathinaikos returned once to his old homestead.

In spring 2005, UEFA withdrew the stadium admission to discharge of Champions League games. One reason for this included the cramped conditions around the stadium as well as the aging infrastructure of the stadium. Since the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium is located in one of the most densely populated districts of Athens and the city of Athens a new building on the same site categorically excluded, Panathinaikos was forced to move back into the Olympic Stadium in the summer of the same year.

The stadium in its current form it is when it comes to the plans of the club's management Panathinaikos give only a few years. Panathinaikos plans in the district Votanikos ( 2.5 km west of the city center ) to build a new sports complex ( Marfin Stadium ), which is home to all sports departments. The new football stadium should have already been completed in 2010 for this purpose. For the new land should be returned to the city of Athens and demolished after the Apostolos Nikolaidis in exchange Stadium and the associated property. At the same place a city park will be built, which will also include a museum of the association. To symbolize the importance of the stadium for the city and the club to visitors, to be built on the site where there is currently the center of the playing field, a large fountain. In addition, discuss whether the West curve should be allowed to stand with the famous gate 13 as a memorial.

For the 2013/14 season Panathinaikos returned to his old homestead, as it could no longer fund the stadium rent for the Olympic Stadium Spiridon Louis.

Coat of Use

Below the East Stand ( Gate 6-7) is since 1959, the first built in Greece gymnasium. The approximately 1,500 spectators comprehensive Hall is currently the women's departments in volleyball or basketball Panathinaikos as homestead. The Lord departments that used to be fought out their home games at the same place, moved into larger arenas due to the small seating capacity. In addition to the sports hall are located below the different grandstands also a swimming pool ( west curve, gate 13-14 ), various gyms and changing rooms and a VIP bar ( north stand ). The stadium was for many decades home to nearly all of the sports departments of Greece's largest sports club.

Below the South Stand is a fan shop of Panathinaikos, who was the first of its kind in Greece.

Statistical

• Attendance record: 29 665 in the match Panathinaikos - FC Bayern Munich (18 October 1968)
• Current Capacity: 16,620 (excluding seats)
• Between 1931 and 1991, the stadium was the venue for the finals 21 times in the Greek club trophy, more often than any other stadium in Greece.

Trivia

• The Apostolos Nikolaidis was the venue of the first discharged on Greek soil baseball game. On April 11, 1946 there came together the crews of the USS Missouri and the USS Providence.