Estádio do Dragão

FC Porto

• Games of FC Porto
• 2004 European Football Championship
• Concerts: .. 2006 2012 Coldplay Muse Live!

The Estádio do Dragão ( German: Dragon Stadium ) is a football stadium in the Portuguese city of Porto, in which the traditional soccer club FC Porto plays its home games. The five -star stadium by UEFA in 2004 was the venue for the official opening ceremony during the European Football Championship. The stadium holds 52,000 spectators, it is solely for seats.

Construction of the stadium

Although the city of Porto possessed with the time-honored Estádio das Antas already have a large stadium with a sufficient number of seats, it was no longer appropriate and should be the occasion of the upcoming Euro 2004 soccer championship replaced by a new arena. The work began in 2000 in the city center - not far from the Estádio das Antas. The location of the stadium first caused major problems. Before the first stone was set, extensive earthworks delayed again and again to begin construction.

In 2000, then it went off. The new, designed by the Portuguese architect Manuel Salgado sports venue offers an unusual design, which also eventually gave its name to the stadium. Bird's recalls the transparent roof, which was built of 280 tons of steel, the carapace of a dragon. About the striking upwardly curved grandstands closes the roof with the top echelons, while a huge gap yawns at the longitudinal sides each have only one rank, between the uppermost seats and the roof which allowed out of the stadium interior views of Porto roofs.

The open back roof structure is indeed clearly at the expense of more places to sit and not protect the spectators from rain, giving the stadium but its characteristic appearance.

The construction of the Estádio do Dragão lasted a little over three years and devoured about 98 million euros, of which the country shouldered about 18 million. It was inaugurated on 16 November 2003, a friendly match between FC Porto and FC Barcelona ( 2-0) solemnly.

Facilities

The Estádio do Dragão not only serves as a focal point for major events, but at the same time is also a shopping center and due to its many dining options, a suitable meeting place for Porto's night owls. In addition to the many restaurants and bars it offers with its congress facilities but also the possibility of business meetings.

All facilities, all of which are connected to the public areas at the various levels of the stands, contribute significantly to the financing of the stadium.

Since June 5, 2004, they reached the stadium with the lines A, B, C and E of Metro do Porto.

European Football Championship

Just eight months after the inauguration, the Estádio do Dragão was already at the center of European football, as was opened here in 2004 the euro. The Portuguese national team lost the opening game against Greece 1-2. Four more games were played during the European Championship in the stadium.

Current usage

Since the end of the UEFA European Football Championship, the Estádio do Dragão is primarily for its owner, the football club FC Porto, for the discharge of his league and European games. Since da Luz and the José Alvalade Stadium, includes not only the Estádio to the three largest stadiums in Portugal, also football matches of the Portuguese are discharged.

However, it is also suitable for any other major event, such as concerts.

Pictures

Main entrance

Exterior