Germany are up against Turkey for the right to host the European Championships in 2024, and today the ten host cities were announced by the DFB. There are no great surprises, but with ten grounds being picked there were bound to be some notable omissions. Sadly, the Alpenbauer Sportpark in Unterhaching will not be hosting any matches at Euro 2014…
So now, we present the ten venues:
Berlin (Olympiastadion), Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park), Düsseldorf (ESPRIT arena), Frankfurt am Main (Commerzbank-Arena), Gelsenkirchen (Veltins-Arena), Hamburg (Volksparkstadion), Köln (RheinEnergieStadion), Leipzig (Red Bull Arena), München (Allianz Arena), Stuttgart (Mercedes-Benz Arena).
Nine of these ten stadiums were used during the World Cup in 2006, with Düsseldorf returning to the fold. The ESPRIT area, previously known as the Rheinstadion, was last used during the Euro 1988 tournament.
Of the fourteen original applicants, the four unlucky losers were Bremen’s Weserstadion, Hannover’s HDI Arena, Mönchengladbach’s Borussia-Park, and the Max-Morlock-Stadion in Nürnberg. Both Nürnberg and Hannover hosted matches in 2006, while both Mönchengladbach and Bremen were hoping to play host to a major international tournament match for the first time. The Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern, which was one of the twelve host cities in 2006, did not submit a bid.
Overview
All ten stadiums should be familiar to followers of German football and the Nationalmannschaft. The smallest is Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena, with a capacity of just under 43,000. The largest, taking international seating adjustments into account, is the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Geographically, only one of the venues is located in the north of the country (Hamburg). There are two in the east (Berlin, Leipzig) and two in the south (München, Stuttgart). The remaining five are in the west of the country, with four located in the Rhineland.
Berlin (Olympiastadion)
Originally built for the Olympic Games in 1936, Werner March’s classical creation hosted three group phase matches in the 1974 World Cup. Located at the time in what was West Berlin, it was not the easiest of locations to get to. This was the reasoning behind Berlin not being chosen for the Euros in 1988, though the ground did get to host the four-team West Berlin Tournament a few months earlier.
Olympiastadion, Berlin
By 2006, Berlin had been reestablished as the capital of the united Germany. The revamped stadium hosted a total of six matches: four in the group phase, one quarter-final, and the final between Italy and France.
Capacity: 74,475
Club: Hertha BSC
World Cups (Matches): 1974 (3), 2006 (6)
Euros (Matches): 0
Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park)
The Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund has hosted matches at both of Germany’s World Cups in 1974 and 2006. Opened as the Westfalenstadion in time for the 1974 tournament, it has been known as the Signal Iduna Park since 2005. It is the biggest ground in Germany with a capacity of 81,360, but for international matches this drops to just under 66,000.
Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
The Westfalenstadion was used for a total of four World Cup matches in 1974, three in the group phase and one in the second. In 2006 as the FIFA WM-Stadion Dortmund, it hosted four group phase fixtures, one second round match, and the emotional semi-final between the Nationalmannschaft and eventual champions Italy.
Capacity: 65,829 (for international matches)
Club: BV 09 Borussia Dortmund
World Cups (Matches): 1974 (4), 2006 (6)
Euros (Matches): 0
Düsseldorf (ESPRIT arena)
The ESPRIT arena, previously known as the LTU Arena, was opened in 2004 to replace the old Rheinstadion on the same site. While the new ground makes its debut as an international tournament host, the old ground was used for both the World Cup in 1974 and the Euros in 1988.
ESPRIT arena, Düsseldorf
The Rheinstadion hosted five matches in 1974, two in the first group phase and three in the second. In 1988, it was used for two matches including the tournament opener between Germany and Italy. It is the only stadium in the ten that is being used by a club from the 2. Bundesliga.
Capacity: 51,500 (for international matches)
Club: Fortuna Düsseldorf
World Cups (Matches): 1974 (5)
Euros (Matches): 1988 (2)
Frankfurt am Main (Commerzbank-Arena)
Opened in 1925 as the Waldstadion, Frankfurt’s stadium has been used for all three major international tournaments in 1974, 1988 and 2006. Renamed the Commerzbank-Arena in 2006, it was known as the FIFA WM-Stadion Frankfurt for the 2006 World Cup.
Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt
In 1974, the Waldstadion was the venue for three first phase matches, and two second phase fixtures – one of which was the famous Wasserschlacht between the hosts and Poland. Two group phase matches were played at Euro 1988, and at the World Cup in 2006 the FIFA WM-Stadion Frankfurt hosted a four group phase matches and one quarter-final.
Capacity: 48,000 (for international matches)
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
World Cups (Matches): 1974 (5), 2006 (5)
Euros (Matches): 1988 (2)
Gelsenkirchen (Veltins-Arena)
Opened in 2001 as the Arena AufSchalke, the Veltins-Arena was built on the site of the old Parkstadion. While the Parkstadion was a host venue for the World Cup in 1974 and the Euros in 1988, the new ground with its distinctive retractable roof was one of the twelve grounds selected for the 2006 World Cup.
Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
In 1974, the Parkstadion was used for five matches, two in the first group phase and three in the second. At the Euros in 1988, the ground played host to two group phase fixtures. Renamed to FIFA WM-Stadion Gelsenkirchen for the 2006 World Cup, the new stadium hosted four group phase fixtures and one quarter-final.
Capacity: 54,740 (for international matches)
Club: FC Schalke 04
World Cups (Matches): 1974 (5), 2006 (5)
Euros (Matches): 1988 (2)
Hamburg (Volksparkstadion)
First opened in 1953, the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg has also played host in all three of Germany’s major international tournaments. The stadium has seen a number of name changes, before reverting back to the original in 2015.
Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
In 1974, the Volksparkstadion was used for three matches, all in the first group phase. At the Euros in 1988 it hosted just the one match – the semi-final between the hosts and the eventual champions the Netherlands. In 2006, the then AOL Arena was designated as the FIFA WM-Stadion Hamburg. It was used for a total of five matches in the tournament, four in the group phase and one quarter-final.
Capacity: 51,500 (for international matches)
Club: Hamburger SV
World Cups (Matches): 1974 (3), 2006 (4)
Euros (Matches): 1988 (1)
Köln (RheinEnergieStadion)
Köln was first chosen as a host city for the Euros in 1988, when it was originally called the Müngersdorfer Stadion. The ground originally opened in 1923 was given its new name in 2001, but was used at the 2006 World Cup as the FIFA WM-Stadion Köln.
RheinEnergieStadion, Köln
In 1988, the Müngersdorfer Stadion played host to two group phase matches, while the temporarily named FIFA WM-Stadion Köln was used for four group phase fixtures and one second round match in 2006.
Capacity: 46,195 (for international matches)
Club: 1. FC Köln
World Cups (Matches): 2006 (5)
Euros (Matches): 1988 (2)
Leipzig (Red Bull Arena)
Build on the expansive site of the communist-era Zentralstadion, the now-named Red Bull Arena was opened in 2004 in time for the 2006 World Cup. It is the only host city located in the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
Red Bull Arena, Leipzig
Making its debut as an international tournament host in 2006, the Zentralstadion hosted four group phase matches and one second round match.
Capacity: 42,959
Club: RB Leipzig
World Cups (Matches): 2006 (4)
Euros (Matches): 0
München (Allianz Arena)
Opened the year before the World Cup in 2006, the futuristic Allianz Arena was built as a replacement for the Olympiastadion, which had hosted a number of international tournament matches, including both finals, during the World Cup in 1974 and Euro 1988. In 1974, the Olympiastadion hosted a three group phase matches as well as the third-place playoff and final, and in 1988 the ground was used for one group phase match and the final.
Allianz Arena, München
The new Allianz Arena, named the FIFA WM-Stadion München for the tournament, hosted a total of six matches in 2006: four group phase fixtures including the opening game between German and Costa Rica, one second round match, and one semi-final.
Capacity: 70,000 (for international matches)
Club: FC Bayern München
World Cups (Matches): 2006 (6)
Euros (Matches): 0
Stuttgart (Mercedes-Benz Arena)
The Mercedes-Benz-Arena in Stuttgart has been a very popular tournament host, holding matches in both the 1974 and 2006 World Cups as well as the Euros in 1988. Built as the Neckarstadion in 1933, the historic ground was also known as the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion before being given its current name.
Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart
As the Neckarstadion, the ground hosted four matches, three in the first group phase and one in the second. Fourteen years later at the Euros, it was used for one group phase match and one semi-final. As the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in 2006, the ground played host to six matches: four group phase fixtures, one second round match and the third/fourth place playoff between Germany and Portugal.
Capacity: 54,812 (for international matches)
Club: VfB Stuttgart
World Cups (Matches): 1974 (4), 2006 (6)
Euros (Matches): 1988 (2)
The debate
There will be much debate over those grounds that were picked and those that were not, but this all comes down to the fact that there were only going to be ten.
Some grounds were a definite must-have. The big six: Berlin, München, Hamburg, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen and Frankfurt. As the only location in the former DDR, Leipzig was always going to make the cut too. The next factor is ground capacity. Stuttgart has been a hosting mainstay. After missing out in 2006 and revamping its 50,000+ capacity ground, Düsseldorf was also going to be in the leading pack.
This gives us nine venues already, leaving very few options.
There is an argument that there are too many grounds in the Ruhrgebeit. The HDI-Arena in Hannover has a slightly larger capacity than the RheinEnergieStadion in Köln and would have guaranteed a venue in the geopraphical centre of the country, but it is fair to say that the famous cathedral city is more of a draw to visitors. Many fans will be in Germany not just to watch the football, but to take in the sights too.
Up against the other Ruhrpott powerhouses, Mönchengladbach’s Borussia-Park was always going to find it tough. It was unlikely that five cities within the same regional transport network would have all been picked, and an international match capacity of just over 46,000 made it the smallest of the five competing grounds in the region.
The northern port city of Bremen could consider itself unlucky, but the combination of it not being a traditional tourist destination and its close proximity to Hamburg did not help its case. Added to that its relatively low capacity compared to the other applicants.
This leaves Nürnberg, a city that hosted five matches at the World Cup in 2006. A wonderful tourist draw, but another one of the smaller stadiums with an international capacity of just under 45,000. Had the Max-Morlock-Stadion a capacity of over 50,000, it might have been in with a better chance of knocking out one of the Ruhrpott quartet.