Veltins-Arena

FC Schalke 04

Football World Cup 2006
UEFA Champions League Final 2004
Matches of the German national football team
DFL - Supercup 2011
LIGA total! Cup 2009, 2010
Biathlon World Team Challenge since 2002
Ice Hockey World Championship for Men 2010
TV total Stock Car Crash Challenge 2005-2007, since 2009
Speedway individual World Cup 2007
NFL Europe season 2003 and 2004
World Bowl 2004
Boxing matches
Sensation White 2005, 2006
Concerts

The Veltins -Arena ( Arena Aufschalke to 2005 ) in Gelsenkirchen is the stadium of German football Bundesliga team FC Schalke 04 It was completed in August 2001 after almost three years of construction. In football matches at the national level, the arena holds 61,973 spectators for international matches because of Admission ban 54 442 spectators. The multifunctional stadium serves, inter alia, as a venue for concerts, opera performances and a regularly scheduled biathlon competition. Here, the spectator capacity will be expanded in the interior to a maximum of 79 296 seats depending on the type of the event by sitting and standing. It is a UEFA Stadium category 4, the highest classification of the European Football Association.

Location

The Veltins- Arena is located in the geographical center of Gelsenkirchen on the so-called Berger Feld in alder, near the borders with the districts of Buer and Beckhausen. The Arena can be reached via different access routes. The tram line 302 BOGESTRA operated the stadium for visitors from Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof and Bochum. Those arriving by car reach over two highway exits to the arena, of which one on the A 2 (exit 6 - Gelsenkirchen- Buer ) and the A42 (exit 17 - Gelsenkirchen- Schalke) is.

History

The old Park Stadium had replaced the Football World Cup in 1974, the Glückaufkampfbahn as home of FC Schalke 04. It corresponded less and less to the requirements of a modern football stadium and also suffered from mining subsidence. Therefore, in the late 1980s were drafted plans for a new multi-purpose arena.

August 29, 1989 Schalke president Günter Eichberg presented the project " Arena Berger Feld ," which provided for the construction of a 100 million DM expensive, 45,000 -seat multifunction hall. In 1990, a first model of the stadium was presented. However, the cost had risen at this time already to 250 million DM, of targeted opening date was the start of the season 1992. 1991, Philipp Holzmann AG presented its concept for a stadium with a capacity of 50,000 seats, of which 10,000 were converted to 5000 seats when needed. The costs declared amounted now to nearly 320 million DM After Eichberg because of the indebtedness of the association Schalke 04 had to go to the Holzmann AG, and ultimately the city of Gelsenkirchen adopted by this project.

First opened in 1996, the new leadership team Schalke and Rudi Assauer the plans again. On November 21, 1998, there came to the symbolic pile foundation on the grounds south of the Park stadium. The Veltins- Arena is the first stadium in Germany, which was completely privately funded. The construction costs of 191 million euro took over the club without public money on their own.

The clubs 1st FC Nuremberg and Borussia Dortmund were invited to the inauguration of the stadium on 13 and 14 August 2001, which fought out a blitz tournament together with the host. The first goal in the new arena fired Fredi Bobic, the first win was the club from Nuremberg. Your Bundesliga premiere experienced the Arena on August 18, 2001 at the 3-3 draw between Schalke 04 and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. First Goalscorer in a competitive match was there Schalke Tomasz Hajto.

In 2005, the naming rights for 10 years was sold to the brewery C. & A. Veltins, contrary to all previous assurances of the then manager Rudi Assauer that such a break with tradition for Schalke 04 not out of the question. The Arena is, therefore, 2015 Veltins Arena until June 30.

During the 2006 World Cup in Germany Veltins - Arena was officially called " FIFA World Cup Stadium Gelsenkirchen ". A total of five games of the World Cup were held at the Arena, including four preliminary matches and the quarter-final between England and Portugal (1:3 nE ).

On 13 January 2010 a part of the fiberglass roof ripped a, an exact cause for this has not yet been announced. However, the snow lying at this time on the roof should not have been responsible for the damage. After heavy snowfall in December 2010, several parts of the roof were damaged again.

Interior of the Arena

The old Park stadium with the new arena in the background

Exterior view of the Veltins- Arena

The arena under construction

Damage to the roof in 2010 after heavy snowfall

Special

The roof of the stadium is located mostly in the closed state and can be opened when needed. In the time between the football games of the field turf for regeneration and to avoid damage to other events in a three and a half to four hours operation is postponed by a hydraulic on rails out of the stadium. To this end, the South Stand was built free-floating like a bridge over the passage. The cost of this operation amounted to € 13,000 for the clean version or driving. In addition, the arena next to the Berlin Olympic Stadium and Commerzbank - Arena in Frankfurt one of the stages in Germany, equipped with a chapel, held baptisms and church weddings are regularly held.

Into the North and the guest block the Veltins Arena as the entire building multifunctional. During the national games there is standing room for 16,307 people at international matches these to 8,776 seats ( 7,829 in the northern curve 947 in the guest block ) to be converted.

The grandstand is divided into several segments that are structurally separated. Since it occurs in the region of the stadium to subsidence of the ground by mining, it is expected that the seats of one segment are slowly moving towards the seats of the adjacent segment. The roof structure is designed to possible subsidence of the ground.

In the arena is sold exclusively cashless to the total of 32 kiosks. As payment is done by the Knapp card, these can be purchased at many places in the arena and recharged. A special feature is the central beer supply over a five- kilometer pipeline.

In the middle of the stadium, a 29 -ton video cube is related to four approximately 36 -square-meter screen that allows further away seated spectators to track all events. This cube was in the Bundesliga, the first mounted above the playing field scoreboard, which now also at the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, such a construction is available. The first player, who managed to hit the video cube out of the game, was on matchday 34 of the 2002/2003 season, the goalkeeper of Bayern Munich, Oliver Kahn. According to the rules, there was then for the first time in Bundesliga history a dropped ball because of a scoreboard hit. Manufacturer of the video cube is the company Philips, the 2001-2006 with words could advertise on the cube at the same time. After this sponsorship agreement expiry of the lettering was replaced by a similar advertising competitor Samsung. In 2009, again Samsung has been replaced by T -Home. Since 2003, advertising boards are attached to the bottom of the cube.

Located in the outer ring around the stadium from the inputs West 1 and West 2, 1000 Friends Wall was inaugurated during the season opening 2002. This is trailer of the Association may perpetuate with a personal inscription to be elected to more than 11,500 signs by purchasing so-called arena - modules whose purchase price represents an interest-free loan to the club. This pays it back in the form of shopping vouchers for the fan shop within ten years. By mid-2010, more than 6,700 club supporters had entered on the 1000 - friends - wall. Based on mining the grandstand entrances to the arena are now officially referred to as a mouth hole. The Arena has, among other things because of the good freedom of movement for wheelchair users rated " Disabled Arena ", but the capacity in the arena was before the season 2006/ 07 slightly reduced.

Before the 2006 World Cup, the stadium a test of Stiftung Warentest has undergone. The Arena cut off as one of the worst stadiums, mainly because of the three-meter deep trenches that separate the audience from the actors around the game field. It was assumed that the people flee in a panic in the middle of the stadium and thus the trench is too great a danger. However, this is controversial among experts, because you in a stampede flees more in the direction from which you came.

Outside of the event times, it is possible to visit the Arena as part of guided tours. This additional information about the construction and technical equipment of the arena will be delivered.

Other Terms

In addition to games of the association are also held numerous other events at the Veltins - Arena.

Among other things, the arena for concerts by Herbert Grönemeyer, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Pur, Bruce Springsteen, U2, AC / DC, Bon Jovi and Robbie Williams, as well as for the operas Aida, Carmen and Turandot has been posted. A planned 2005 production of the opera Nabucco was ultimately discharged in the Cologne Arena, concerts by Paul McCartney, Eminem and 50 Cent postponed or canceled despite ticket.

Football

With farewell games were in the arena so far Ingo Anderbrügge on 28 July 2002 Olaf Thon on January 18, 2003 Ebbe Sand on July 23, 2006 Darío Rodríguez on 25 January 2008, Marcelo Bordon on 9 July 2011 and Raúl on 27 July. honored in 2013.
After the terrorist attacks in Istanbul in November 2003, the Champions League preliminary round match Beşiktaş Istanbul was - Chelsea moved into the arena and there held on 9 December 2003.

The Champions League 2004 final between FC Porto and AS Monaco was held in the stadium at that time still called Arena Aufschalke. When applying for the finals, the Gelsenkirchen venue had, among others, against the Imtech Arena - then AOL Arena - can prevail in Hamburg.
The football league club Wuppertal SV Borussia wore on January 29, 2008, the DFB Cup second-round match against FC Bayern Munich ( 2:5 ) in the sold-out Veltins- Arena.
On 18 and 19 July 2009, the T- Home Cup a short tournament with four teams in the Veltins - Arena took place in 2009 instead. Participants were of FC Schalke 04, Bayern Munich, Hamburger SV and VfB Stuttgart. On 31 July and 1 August 2010, this tournament was totally in league! Cup 2010 being held for the second time. Participants were of FC Schalke 04, Bayern Munich, HSV and the 1 FC Cologne.
On 25 July 2009, the FC Bayern Munich went up against an all-star team of Oliver Pocher, which he had previously cast with Werner Lorant and Reiner Calmund. In addition to amateur footballers and celebrities such as Johannes B. Kerner also played former footballer Pochers team, for example, Ebbe Sand, Mario Basler, and Thomas Hassler. The game won Bayern Munich with 13:0.
On July 23, 2011, the FC Schalke 04 won by a 4-3 win iE against Borussia Dortmund the DFL Supercup 2011.

Other events

Since 2002, the World Team Challenge in biathlon place shortly before the end of before up to 52,000 spectators at the Veltins - Arena instead. The scheduled for December 30, 2010 ninth edition of the World Team Challenge had to be canceled at short notice because of snow had damaged several parts of the roof membrane of the Veltins- Arena. The event was rescheduled on March 27, 2011.
After the demolition of the Rhine stadium in Dusseldorf, the American football team Rhein Fire was in the years of 2003 and 2004 their home games in the arena. In addition, the World Bowl XII between Berlin Thunder and Frankfurt Galaxy ( 30:24 ) was played at the Veltins Arena on 12 June 2004.
On 12 September 2004, the opening match of the Handball - Bundesliga between TBV Lemgo and THW Kiel took place in the arena, in which, with 30,925 visitors a new audience - world record was set in the club handball. Due to the smaller playing area of a handball field compared to a football field, the interior of the arena was " halved " and built up below the video cube a grandstand for 4,000 spectators.
On July 16, 2005 and on July 15, 2006 there the first two editions of the German Sensation White took place. The Sensation White Germany 2007 December 31, 2007 did not in the Veltins-Arena, but in the LTU arena in Dusseldorf.
Stefan Raab held on 25 June 2005 for the first time the TV total Stock Car Crash Challenge, a stock car race at the Veltins - Arena. Since then, the event will take place with the exception of 2008, has been evaded in the in the LTU Arena in Dusseldorf, annually held there.
On 13 October 2007, the Grand Prix of Germany was held in the Speedway at the Veltins - Arena. The scheduled for 11 October 2008 Grand Prix of Germany had to be canceled due to the defective artificial track. Instead, the race was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland, a week later.
On 20 June 2009, the heavyweight bout took place in front of 60,000 spectators in the boxes between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Tschagajew. Vitali Klitschko defended 29 May 2010 his title as heavyweight champion by the WBC version in front of 40,000 spectators against Poland's Albert Sosnowski also on Schalke.
On 7 May 2010 the opening match of the Hockey World Cup between hosts Germany and the United States took place ( 2-1 aet) held in the arena. To this end, the arena was converted into a hockey rink and expanded to a capacity of 77,803 seats. This meant for seven months a new attendance world record in the sport of ice hockey.
Was held on June 5, 2010 as part of the project RUHR.2010 - European Capital of Culture, the final concert of the SING! - DAY OF SONG at the Veltins - Arena instead. On the field and ranks there were about 50,000 singers who brought the action musically completion under the direction of conductor Steven Sloane. Contributors guests included the American vocal artist Bobby McFerrin, the German a cappella group Wise Guys and the Belgian girls choir Scala & Kolacny Brothers.

Trivia

"What a stadium has not seen the world. "

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