Wankdorf Stadium

• BSC Young Boys (1925-2001)

• 1954 World Cup group stage, quarter-final, Final
• Final in the European Champions Cup in 1961
• Final in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989
• Finals of the Swiss Cup in 1930, 1934, 1937-1946, 1948-2000

The stadium Wankdorf was a football stadium in the city of Bern. It was over 70 years the stadium of football club BSC Young Boys and long the largest stadium in Switzerland. In August 2001, the stadium Wankdorf was demolished and replaced by the Stade de Suisse was completed in 2005.

In the stadium which later became known as Miracle of Bern final of the football World Cup in 1954 was held, by which it was known worldwide. In 1961, the final of the European Champions Cup in 1989 and the European Cup Winners' Cup final was held in Bern.

History

From 1924 YB played on Bern Wankdorffeld. On October 18, 1925, the first Wankdorfstadion with a total of 22,000 seats, of which 5000 covered standing places and 1,200 covered seats opened. During the 1930s, it was expanded in several steps: In 1933, added a second training field, 1936, the corner towers. 1939 was extended to 42,000 spectators with the construction of the standing area opposite the grandstand stadium. For the Soccer World Cup in 1954 the old stadium was demolished and completely rebuilt by the architect Walter Hämmig and Virgilio Muzzulini. A total of 64,000 spectators found now at 56,000 standing and 8000 seats place.

In 2001, the now outdated and dilapidated second Wankdorfstadion was demolished - the audience capacity was for safety towards the end, only about 22,000 seats. The last point game in the old stadium were present with Fritz Walter and Gyula Grosics two of the major players of the most memorable game of the stadium 's history. A patch of grass of the field found its way into the garden of the Chancellery in Berlin. Shortly after the demolition began on the construction of a new stadium on the same site. The Stade de Suisse was completed in late July 2005 and inaugurated.

The Final at the Swiss Cup Winner was discharged to 2000, with few exceptions, almost every year in Bern. Since 2006, the Cup final will take place again in Bern, is awarded annually, however.

1954 took place in Wankdorf held the final of the World Cup between Germany and Hungary, which became known as the Miracle of Bern in football history.

In the game, which took place on July 4, 1954, the clearly favored team of Hungary and Germany were against. It amazed many, that it had made ​​it to the finals the Germans. At first everything seemed to run as expected, because Hungary led after just eight minutes by 2-0. However, the Germans managed just ten minutes later, already in the equalizer to 2:2. The game remained very long balanced, but long it was no goal. But in the 84th minute, something happened that no one expected: Helmut Rahn scored Germany to become world champion. Legendary is the comment by Herbert Zimmermann.

For Germany, the game is sometimes referred to as " the actual birth of the Federal Republic of Germany ". Nine years after the end of World War II the world title seemed to tear a whole people from the deprivation and depression after the war.

Since this game the Wankdorfstadion is world famous.

The final of the European Cup of Champions

On 31 May 1961, FC Barcelona and Benfica were compared in the final of the European Champions Cup in Wankdorf Stadium. It was noteworthy that two former Hungarian national team, Sándor Kocsis and Zoltán Czibor who had left their homeland after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, which was attended for FC Barcelona. Both had been in the finals in 1954 on the field and brought back both the venue no luck: Despite a 1-0 lead Barcelona lost with 2:3.

Final of the European Cup of Cup Winners

On 10 May 1989, the final was held at the European Cup of Cup Winners' Cup between FC Barcelona and Sampdoria. The Wankdorf stadium was sold out with 42'707 spectators. This was the last time you were so many people in the stadium. Then were blocked for security gradually individual sectors.

In the arts

The German film The Miracle of Bern in 2003 by director Sönke Wortmann plays part in Wankdorf Stadium. These scenes had to be computer animated, since the stadium was torn down two years earlier.