The National Arena (Romanian: Arena Națională) is a retractable roof football stadium in Bucharest, Romania. It opened in 2011 on the site of the original National Stadium, which was demolished between 2007 and 2008. The stadium hosts major football matches including home matches of the Romania National Football Team, and usually Romanian Cup Final. With 55,634 seats, it is the largest stadium in Romania.
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| Location | 37 Basarabia Blvd., Sector 2, Bucharest, Romania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°26′14″N 26°09′09″E / 44.43722°N 26.15250°E |
| Owner | Municipality of Bucharest |
| Executive suites | 42 |
| Capacity | 55,634 (football)[4] |
| Record attendance | 54,967 (Romania Golden Team vs World Stars, 25 May 2024) |
| Field size | 105 x 68 m[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 20 February 2008 |
| Opened | 6 September 2011 |
| Construction cost | €234 million[2] (€338 million in 2021 euros)[3] |
| Architect | Gerkan, Marg and Partners |
| Main contractors | Max Bögl Astaldi |
| Tenants | |
| Romania National Football Team (2011–present) FCSB (2015–present) Rapid București (2021–2022) | |
Designed by Gerkan, Marg and Partners, the stadium was built by German firm Max Bögl and Italian firm Astaldi. The stadium has a retractable roof which covers the playing surface.
In addition to Romania home games and the Romanian Cup final, the stadium also hosts other major games in Romanian football, including the season-opening Supercupa României. A UEFA category four stadium, the National Arena hosted the 2012 UEFA Europa League final,[5] and four games at UEFA Euro 2020 (including the Round of 16 match between France and Switzerland, ended in a 3–3 draw, with Switzerland defeating France 5–4 at penalties).[6] The stadium has also been used as the venue for The International 2021, the annual Dota 2 world championship esports tournament. Arena Națională has hosted concerts by Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Depeche Mode, and Ed Sheeran.
It is currently the home ground of FCSB and was also temporarily used by FC Rapid București between 2021 and 2022 as its traditional ground was being rebuilt. FC Dinamo București also plays some select matches here.
Construction
editThe old stadium was demolished between 18 December 2007 and 20 February 2008, although a symbolic removal of seats took place on 21 November 2007, after Romania defeated Albania 6–1 in a qualifying match for Euro 2008.
The construction phase generated some controversy over costs and delays, with Bucharest mayor Sorin Oprescu claiming that the works were 20 weeks behind schedule in May 2009.[7] On 8 October 2009, it was decided that the stadium should also include a retractable roof worth €20,000,000.[8]
Construction was temporarily halted in December 2009 due to unfavorable weather conditions.[9]
Facilities
editThe venue holds 55,634 people. 3,600 VIP seats are available, with another 126 seats allotted for the press (with a possible expansion to 548 seats). The stadium includes some 360 restrooms and a retractable roof, which can be opened or closed in 15 minutes. It is also endowed with a floodlight system and 2100 parking spaces.[10] The stadium is also very similar to the Kazimierz Górski National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, in terms of age, capacity and the roof.[11]
Usage
editThe National Stadium is a Category 4 venue and as such, it hosted the UEFA Europa League 2011–12 final, as announced by UEFA at Nyon on 29 January 2009.[12] It was required to host at least two major events beginning in July 2011, one with an attendance of 10,000 and the second with an attendance of at least 40,000.[10]
The stadium also hosted The International 2021, the annual world championship for the video game Dota 2, in October 2021. This came after the original hosts, Sweden, did not classify esports as a sporting event, making it more difficult for players to procure visas to the country.[13]
History
edit
The official inauguration was initially scheduled for 10 August 2011, and was to feature a football match between Romania and Argentina.[14] However, on 26 July, Argentina officially cancelled the friendly match after their manager Sergio Batista departed the team.
The stadium was inaugurated on 6 September 2011, with a UEFA Euro 2012 Group D qualifier match between Romania and France.[15] In the front of 49,137 fans, Romania and France drew 0–0. The result meant that Romania lost any chance of qualifying for the tournament, hosted by neighbours Ukraine and Poland.
Notable attendances
editThe highest audience for a football game was achieved at the Liga 1 football match between FCSB and CFR Cluj hosted on 11 May 2024, which brought 54,673 people to the stadium.[15][16]
The second largest audience was hosted at the UEFA Europa League final on 9 May 2012. The game between the two Spanish teams, Atlético Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, brought 52,347 people to the stadium.[17]
Another match with a notable audience was between Romania and Switzerland on 21 November 2023, in the qualifying stage of the UEFA Euro 2024 final tournament. With 50,224 people in the stands, Romania won 1–0, thus making it the winner of Group I and giving it a place in Pot 2 for the final tournament in Germany.[18]
Association football
edit| International football clubs matches | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Competition | Home | Away | Score | Attendance |
| 27 September 2011 | UEFA Champions League |  Oțelul Galați
|
 Benfica
|
0–1 | 6,824 |
| 29 September 2011 | UEFA Europa League | Rapid București
|
 PSV Eindhoven
|
1–3 | 21,320 |
| 18 October 2011 | UEFA Champions League | Oțelul Galați
|
 Manchester United
|
0–2 | 28,047 |
| 20 October 2011 | UEFA Europa League | Rapid București
|
 Legia Warsaw
|
0–1 | 13,726 |
| 3 November 2011 | UEFA Europa League | FCSB
|
 Maccabi Haifa
|
4–2 | 31,233 |
| 22 November 2011 | UEFA Champions League | Oțelul Galați
|
 Basel
|
2–3 | 5,797 |
| 30 November 2011 | UEFA Europa League | Rapid București
|
Hapoel Tel Aviv
|
1–3 | 4,529 |
| 14 December 2011 | FCSB
|
 AEK Larnaca
|
3–1 | 50,051 | |
| 16 February 2012 | Twente
|
0–1 | 49,588 | ||
| 9 May 2012 | UEFA Europa League final |  Atlético Madrid
|
Athletic Bilbao
|
3–0 | 52,347 |
| 2 August 2012 | UEFA Europa League | FCSB
|
 Spartak Trnava
|
0–1 | 23,494 |
| 9 August 2012 | Rapid București
|
Heerenveen
|
1–0 | 1,928 | |
| 23 August 2012 | Dinamo București
|
 Metalist Kharkiv
|
0–2 | 14,800 | |
| 4 October 2012 | FCSB
|
 Copenhagen
|
1–0 | 48,694 | |
| 25 October 2012 |  Molde
|
2–0 | 43,651 | ||
| 22 November 2012 |  Stuttgart
|
1–5 | 50,445 | ||
| 21 February 2013 | Ajax
|
2–0 (4–2 p.) |
35,423 | ||
| 7 March 2013 | Chelsea
|
1–0 | 50,016 | ||
| 11 July 2013 | UEFA Europa League | Astra Giurgiu
|
 Domžale
|
2–0 | 1,513 |
| 16 July 2013 | UEFA Champions League | FCSB
|
 Vardar
|
1–0 | 40,725 |
| 18 July 2013 | UEFA Europa League | Astra Giurgiu
|
Omonia
|
1–1 | 2,164 |
| 6 August 2013 | UEFA Champions League | FCSB
|
 Dinamo Tbilisi
|
1–1 | 44,225 |
| 8 August 2013 | UEFA Europa League | Astra Giurgiu
|
Trenčín
|
2–2 | 1,440 |
| 21 August 2013 | UEFA Champions League | FCSB
|
Legia Warsaw
|
1–1 | 52,303 |
| 1 October 2013 | Chelsea
|
0–4 | 36,713 | ||
| 22 October 2013 | Basel
|
1–1 | 23,899 | ||
| 26 November 2013 | Schalke 04
|
0–0 | 50,633 | ||
| 23 July 2014 | UEFA Champions League | FCSB
|
Strømsgodset
|
2–0 | 18,043 |
| 6 August 2014 |  Aktobe
|
2–1 | 24,386 | ||
| 19 August 2014 |  Ludogorets Razgrad
|
1–0 | 35,342 | ||
| 18 September 2014 | UEFA Europa League | FCSB
|
AaB
|
6–0 | 0[A] |
| 23 October 2014 | Rio Ave
|
2–1 | 15,753 | ||
| 11 December 2014 | Dynamo Kyiv
|
0–2 | 7,620 | ||
| 22 July 2015 | UEFA Champions League | FCSB
|
Trenčín
|
2–3 | 0 [A] |
| 29 July 2015 |  Partizan
|
1–1 | |||
| 20 August 2015 | UEFA Europa League | FCSB
|
Rosenborg
|
0–3 | 21,204 |
| 3 August 2016 | UEFA Champions League | FCSB
|
 Sparta Prague
|
2–0 | 37,127 |
| 16 August 2016 | Manchester City
|
0–5 | 45,327 | ||
| 15 September 2016 | UEFA Europa League | Astra Giurgiu
|
 Austria Wien
|
2–3 | 3,300 |
| 29 September 2016 | FCSB
|
Villarreal
|
1–1 | 13,231 | |
| 20 October 2016 | Zürich
|
1–1 | 13,154 | ||
| 3 November 2016 | Astra Giurgiu
|
Viktoria Plzeň
|
1–1 | 1,450 | |
| 24 November 2016 | FCSB
|
 Osmanlıspor
|
2–1 | 6,020 | |
| 8 December 2016 | Astra Giurgiu
|
 Roma
|
0–0 | 7,100 | |
| 25 July 2017 | UEFA Champions League | FCSB
|
Viktoria Plzeň
|
2–2 | 33,795 |
| 27 July 2017 | UEFA Europa League | Dinamo București
|
Athletic Bilbao
|
1–1 | 26,783 |
| 23 August 2017 | UEFA Champions League | FCSB
|
Sporting CP
|
1–5 | 49,220 |
| 14 September 2017 | UEFA Europa League | FCSB
|
Viktoria Plzeň
|
3–0 | 20,714 |
| 2 November 2017 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva
|
1–1 | 27,134 | ||
| 7 December 2017 | Lugano
|
1–2 | 13,231 | ||
| 15 February 2018 | Lazio
|
1–0 | 33,455 | ||
| 2 August 2018 | UEFA Europa League | FCSB
|
Rudar Velenje
|
4–0 | 7,030 |
| 16 August 2018 |  Hajduk Split
|
2–1 | 27,410 | ||
| 30 August 2018 | Rapid Wien
|
2–1 | 31,274 | ||
| 27 August 2020 | UEFA Europa League | FCSB
|
 Shirak
|
3–0 | 0[B] |
| 23 February 2021 | UEFA Champions League | Atlético Madrid
|
Chelsea
|
0–1 | 0[B] |
| 22 July 2021 | UEFA Europa Conference League | FCSB
|
Shakhter Karagandy
|
1–0 | 5,812 |
| 28 July 2022 | UEFA Europa Conference League | FCSB
|
Saburtalo Tbilisi
|
4–2 | 25,228 |
| 11 August 2022 | FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda
|
1–0 | 40,457 | ||
| 18 August 2022 | Viking FK
|
1–2 | 30,134 | ||
| 15 September 2022 |  Anderlecht
|
0–0 | 29,613 | ||
| 13 October 2022 | Silkeborg
|
0–5 | 9,103 | ||
| 3 November 2022 | West Ham
|
0–3 | 20,172 | ||
| 26 September 2024 | UEFA Europa League | FCSB
|
 FK RFS
|
4–1 | 34,257 |
| 7 November 2024 | FC Midtjylland
|
2–0 | 37,152 | ||
- Notes
Romania national football team matches
editOn 6 September 2011, the Romania national football team, played the opening match against the French team which ended with a goalless draw, after Argentina cancelled the official inauguration, a friendly match between Romania and Argentina on 10 August 2011.
- Notes
- ^ The match was played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Euro 2020 matches
editArena Națională was one of the stadiums that hosted matches for the UEFA Euro 2020. Three Group C matches and a Round of 16 game were played there.
| Date | Time (EEST) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 June 2021 | 19:00 | Austria |
3–1 | North Macedonia |
Group C | 9,082[19] |
| 17 June 2021 | 16:00 | Ukraine |
2–1 | 10,001[20] | ||
| 21 June 2021 | 19:00 | 0–1 | Austria |
10,472[21] | ||
| 28 June 2021 | 22:00 |  France |
3–3 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p) |
Switzerland |
Round of 16 | 22,642[22] |
Concerts
edit| Date | Artist | Tour | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 August 2012 |  Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
I'm with You World Tour | 34,729 |
| 15 May 2013 |  Depeche Mode
|
Delta Machine Tour | 44,729 |
| 17 June 2017 | Kings of Leon
|
Walls Tour | 16,000 |
| 3 July 2019 | Ed Sheeran
|
÷ Tour | 48,044 |
| 14 August 2019 | Metallica
|
WorldWired Tour | 50,319 |
| 16 July 2023 | Guns N' Roses
|
We're F'N' Back! Tour | 42,000 |
| 26 July 2023 | Depeche Mode
|
Memento Mori World Tour | 46,634 |
| 12 June 2024 | Coldplay
|
Music of the Spheres World Tour | 105,420[23] |
| 13 June 2024 | |||
| 24 August 2024 | Ed Sheeran
|
-=÷x Tour | 70,000 |
Transport
editThe stadium is served by public transport with buses, trolleybuses, trams and the subway system. The nearest subway station (Piata Muncii) is about 1.7 km away (a 22-minute walk).
| Transport means | Stadium entrance | Routes |
|---|---|---|
| Transport in Bucharest | Strada Pierre de Coubertin / Peluza I NORD | Trolleybuses routes → 86, 90 – 100 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 104 – 300 metre walk to stadium entrance Trams routes → 46, 55 – 500 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 101, 335, N102 – 550 metre walk to stadium entrance Trams routes → 14, 36 – 600 metre walk to stadium entrance Trolleybuses routes → 69, 85 – 1400 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 143, 682 – 1400 metre walk to stadium entrance |
| Bulevardul Basarabia / Peluza II SUD | Trams routes → 40, 56 – 250 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → N109 – 250 metre walk to stadium entrance Trams routes → 36 – 750 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 101, 102, 335 – 750 metre walk to stadium entrance Trolleybuses routes → 70, 79, 92 – 800 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → N104 – 800 metre walk to stadium entrance Metro routes → M1: Piața Muncii – 1400 metre walk to stadium entrance Trams routes → 1 – 1500 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 135, 253, 311, 330 – 1500 metre walk to stadium entrance Metro routes → M1: Costin Georgian – 1500 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 104 – 1500 metre walk to stadium entrance | |
| Strada Maior Ion Coravu / Tribuna I VEST | Trams routes → 40, 56 – 500 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → N109 – 500 metre walk to stadium entrance Trolleybuses routes → 86, 90 – 600 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 104 – 600 metre walk to stadium entrance Trams routes → 1 – 1100 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 135, 311, 330 – 1100 metre walk to stadium entrance Metro routes → M1: Piața Muncii – 1500 metre walk to stadium entrance Trolleybuses routes → 70, 79, 92 – 1500 metre walk to stadium entrance | |
| Strada Socului / Tribuna II EST | Trams routes → 36 – 500 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 101, 335 – 500 metre walk to stadium entrance Trams routes → 14, 46, 55 – 800 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 104 – 850 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 102, N109 – 950 metre walk to stadium entrance Trams routes → 40, 56 – 950 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → 253 – 1400 metre walk to stadium entrance Bus routes → N104 – 1500 metre walk to stadium entrance Trolleybuses routes → 70, 79, 92 – 1500 metre walk to stadium entrance |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Finalizarea Arenei Naționale Archived 22 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Național Arena costa 119 milioane de euro și a ajuns la 234!
- ^ Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices: All Items for Romania
- ^ Am cucerit Europa şi-n tribune! – Steaua – Chelsea a fost urmărit de cei mai mulţi suporteri dintre meciurile din optimile Europa League
- ^ "UEFA Europa League trophy handed to Bucharest". UEFA. 11 April 2012.
- ^ "Welcome to Bucharest". UEFA. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ "Oprescu atacă: "Lucrările la stadionul 'Național' sunt în întârziere cu 20 de săptămâni"" (in Romanian). Prosport. 22 May 2009.
- ^ "Stadionul Național va avea acoperiș retractabil de 20 milioane euro" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 14 October 2009.
- ^ "Oprescu: "Stadionul Național va fi gata în decembrie 2010!"" (in Romanian). 15 December 2009.
- ^ a b "TRIMIŞI AI FORULUI DE LA NYON AU FOST ACUM DOUĂ SĂPTĂMÎNI LA BUCUREŞTI – Ultimatum UEFA" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 14 January 2010.
- ^ "Stadiony Euro 2020: National Arena Bucharest". Weszlo.com (in Polish).
- ^ "2012 final: National Stadium, Bucharest". UEFA.
- ^ Bailey, Dustin (7 July 2021). "Dota 2's The International gets new dates after Sweden says no to esports". PCGamesN. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "De acum e sigur, România – Argentina se va juca pe 11 august 2011" (in Romanian). GSP TV. 26 October 2010. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- ^ a b "Mircea Sandu: "Facem inaugurarea stadionului Național cu Franța"" (in Romanian). Evenimentul Zilei. 30 July 2011.
- ^ "Romania vs Netherlands – 16 octombrie 2012 – Soccerway". Ro.soccerway.com. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
- ^ Atlético Madrid-Athletic Bilbao
- ^ "Romania beat Swiss 1-0 to clinch top spot in Euro 2024 qualifying group". Reuters. 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Austria v Macedonia" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Ukraine v Macedonia" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Ukraine v Austria" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – France v Switzerland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ "Zach Bryan Tops June Touring Report with Almost $69 Million". Billboard. 31 July 2024. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
Notes
edit- ^ The Romania v Kosovo match was suspended at 0–0 during second-half stoppage time, after Romanian supporters allegedly began chanting pro-Serbian and anti-Kosovo slogans. The Kosovo team left the pitch, with the match abandoned thereafter. On 20 November 2024, UEFA announced the match had been awarded as a 3–0 win for Romania.
External links
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