We start with the all but completed Grand Stade du Havre. Now Havre Athletic Club seem to have played themselves save from relegation last weekend, they can breadth a sigh of relief that they won’t have to open the stadium in France’s third division. It will open on the 15th of August with an international between France and Uruguay. Here’s how it looks now:

Another stadium that is nearing completion is the Friends Arena, better known as the Swedbank Arena, which will open on the 27th of October. The stadium already looks very finished with most of the seats installed (though we could not find a nice photo of that). The stadium has recently been renamed to Friends Arena, not after the television series, but after a charity sponsor Swedbank supports.

Spartak Moscow’s new stadium, on the other hand, still has a long way to go. That said, foundation works seem to have been finished and the stadium is now rising up from the ground.

Workers on Górnik Zabrze’s new stadium also seem to be ready to soon start work on the stands, though as the stadium will be built gradually in place of their old stadium and this is just the first stand, it means there is still a lot of work ahead.

Finally, a view of Palmeiras’ new stadium, where works seem to have been put in a higher gear and stands are rising on three sides of the stadium. It almost looks as if they haven’t done any foundation work.

For more photos of these stadia you can visit the official website of HAC Foot, the Friends Arena, Spartak Moscow, Stadion w Zabrzu, and the Facebook page of the Nova Arena Palmeiras.

Monthly Construction Update

Estadio Nacional de Chile officially opened on the 3rd of December 1938 with a friendly match between Chilean club Colo Colo and Brazilian side São Christóvão (6-2).

In 1955 the stadium was the site of a stadium disaster when 9 people died in a stampede during an international between Chile and Argentina.

The stadium got remodelled and expanded in the early 1960s in preparation for the 1962 World Cup, for which the stadium would serve as the centrepiece. During the World Cup the stadium hosted all matches in Chile’s group 2, one quarter-final, the semi-final between Brazil and Chile (4-2), the match for third place, and the final between Brazil and Czechoslovakia (3-1).

Few changes were made to the stadium in the decades following until the stadium underwent a major renovation in 2009. This renovation included the replacement of all seats and an upgrade of various facilities. Initially it was also planned to install a roof, but this was postponed after an earthquake struck the country early 2010. The remodelled stadium officially reopened in September 2010.

Universidad de Chile has the intention to build a new club-owned stadium in the upcoming years, though no concrete plans exist yet.

Getting there

Estadio Nacional is located in the Ñuñoa area, about 5 kilometres south-east of Santiago de Chile’s city centre (Centro). The stadium lies about 4 kilometres south of Santiago’s more upscale Providencia area. It is part of a complex featuring various other sports facilities.

Metro station Ñuble lies a 15-minute walk away from the stadium. You can reach this station with the green line L5 from the city centre. Take the line in the direction of Vicente Valdés. If coming from the Providencia area, a change from the red L1 to the green L5 at station Baquedano is necessary.

From Providencia it will in fact be quicker to catch a bus to the stadium. Line 103, 114, 117 and 515 will take you from metro station Pedro de Valdivia (or metro Manuel Montt) directly to the stadium (stop Estadio Nacional). Line 106 and 126 also connect metro Manuel Montt with the stadium.

Furthermore one can catch bus 510 from metro station Los Héroes in the centre, or, even better, line 508, which crosses right through the city centre over Merced. Bus 515 can also be caught from the city centre from metro Bellas Artes. All buses pass directly by the stadium.

Address: Avenida Grecia 2001, Ñuñoa, Santiago

Tickets

Tickets for Universidad de Chile games can be bought online via Puntoticket.

Other arrangements differ depending on the match. At times it will be possible to get tickets in pre-sale at the Estadio Nacional (from a few days before the match) or at the Cinemark cinemas and Ripley stores (a Ripley card may be required). Sometimes there is ticket sales at the gates of the stadium on the day of the match, but this is not always the case.

Ticket prices may vary somewhat depending on the occasion, but typically range between CH$ 6,000 and CH$ 30,000.

As Estadio Nacional is regularly unavailable for Universidad matches due to concerts or renovation works, the club has an agreement with Unión Española to use their Estadio Santa Laura when this is the case. This has happened regularly during the 2012 season.

Relevant Internet links:

Udechile.cl – Official website of Club Universidad de Chile.
Chile.travel – The Santiago section of the official Chilean tourism website.
Metro.cl – Information about the Santiago metro.
Transantiago.cl – Santiago public transport information.

Estadio Nacional de Chile

Classic Stadium Facades

Over ten years ago Brescia Calcio presented their first plans for the construction of a new stadium. Now, ten years later, most fans have long ago detached themselves from their dream and accepted that a new stadium will never come. Others, though, think that a new stadium is now closer than ever.

In the meantime, Brescia president Gino Corioni is increasingly desperate and has already threatened to go the Cagliari way and play their home matches at a venue out of town. As he called continue playing at the dilapidated Stadio Mario Rigamonti “embarrassing”, he contemplated a move to either Cremona or Mantova. Not on the other side of the country like Cagliari, but still about 50 kilometres away from Brescia.

At the same time, rumours flared that the club may be aiming for a site south of the city near the A21 and A4 motorways and the town of Borgosatollo. This resulted from a visit from Corioni to the site which has recently been rezoned to a potential development area.

These rumours may however also have been created to put pressure on the city of Brescia to redevelop the Stadio Rigamonti. The Democratic party of the city has favoured such move, comparing it with Modena’s Stadio Alberto Braglia. This stadium was slowly redeveloped over a number of years into a relatively modern arena.

A new or redeveloped stadium would likely have a capacity of 20,000, the minimum requirement for playing in the Serie A. It is said that president Corioni has recently dusted off the designs of their failed plans from the beginning of the millennium.

These plans envisioned a stadium that would be used for multiple purposes 365 days of the year, modelled after the typical English stadium. The recently completed Juventus Stadium is also reported to be an inspiration of the president.

Brescia Desperate for New Stadium

Orientation

Gdańsk is the only of the eight host cities located close to the sea. And even though the city is not directly situated on the Baltic Sea coast, its influence is clearly visible throughout the city.

From the middle of the second millennium Gdańsk developed into one of the prime seaports and trade centers of the Baltic region. It still boasts the main port of Poland, has a large history in shipbuilding, and significant industrial activities.

Others may know the city from Lech Wałęsa’s Solidarity trade union, rising out of the shipbuilding docks. Its resistance to Soviet rule led to the first free elections of the country since the Second World War.

Gdańsk is the sixth-largest city of Poland, but is part of a larger urban area called the Tricity, which also includes port city Gdynia and Poland’s main beach resort Sopot.

The centre of Gdańsk is located about 7 kilometres inland from the Baltic Sea.  Its centerpoint is the splendidly restored old town. The relatively small space between the railway tracks and the Motława river is filled with small cobblestone streets, churches, courtyards, and beautiful facades. The main square is the so-called “long market square”, though it lacks the allure of its equivalents in Poznań or Wrocław.

The official Fan Zone is located a bit away from the old town, on Zebran Ludowych Square on the other side of the railway station (north-west of the old town). The walk will not take more than 15 minutes though. Gdańsk’s Fan Zone will be able to hold a total of 30,000 fans, and a host of activities are planned among which a concert of Noel Gallagher.

The great advantage of Gdańsk though, is that there are a lot of possibilities to get away from the city. Which is true for the beach buffs as well as the cultural types. No one has to be afraid to be stuck in Gdańsk for a week without anything to do.

The stadium

PGE Arena Gdańsk – 42,105 seats

The PGE Arena Gdańsk, shortened to Arena Gdańsk for the tournament, is arguably one of the most eye-catching stadiums of Euro 2012. Its most striking features are its amber-coloured exterior and roof, which shine brightly in the sunlight.

The roof looks just as spectacular from the inside, and with its light-green-coloured stands that sit close to the pitch you have a perfectly fine stadium.

The stadium, which opened in August 2011, is the normal home of Lechia Gdańsk. Lechia is not considered to be one of the top teams in Poland and has led a struggling existence. After a spell in the second division it recently moved up to the top league again, but this year only narrowly avoided the drop.

The stadium has been a success though, as attendances have risen significantly in the new home.

The Arena Gdańsk is not located particularly close to the centre, lying about 4.5 kilometres toward the north, but is very easy to reach with various public transport options (more later).

Who’s coming?

The Spanish are the lucky ones that are going to be able to call Gdańsk their home. The Euro 2008 champions get to play all of their group matches at the stadium.

They will first receive the Italians and then entertain the Irish. The group stage will be concluded with their encounter with the Croatians.

The three guests will play their other two matches in Poznań, which is a considerable train journey away.

Gdańsk is also the fortunate second Polish city to host a quarter-final match. No Spanish in this match though – they will have to move to the Ukraine -, but the winners of group B (coming from the Ukraine) and the number two of the Polish group A will square off along the Baltic coast.

The team that has made Gdańsk its base though, is Germany, who play all of their group matches in the Ukraine. Their hotel lies just outside the city at only 5 kilometres from the beach.

From that point of view the Irish squad has a better deal as the Sheraton Hotel they’re staying at lies right off the beach of Sopot. Quite a risky move with so much entertainment around. They will train at the new ground of second division team Arka Gdynia.

The third team that has made the area its base is, of course, Spain. They will stay at the small town of Gniewowo, which lies further north, not far from the city of Gdynia.

How to get in and around

Though being one of the most isolated Polish cities, there are plenty of options to get to Gdańsk.

Gdańsk’s airport, named after Lech Wałęsa, is particularly well-served by low-cost airlines. The city is an important destination for both Ryanair and Wizzair. Relevant connections include Dublin, Girona, London, Barcelona, Bergamo, and Rome.

Apart from the low-cost airlines there are a significant amount of domestic connections served by LOT and newcomer OLT Express. Fares can be competitive with a train ticket.

If fares for a direct flight to Gdańsk get too high for the Euros, you may want to consider catching a flight to Bydgoszcz. The train ride from Bydgoszcz to Gdańsk is a very reasonable two to three hours.

Gdańsk Airport is located about 13 kilometres west of the city. Fortunately there is a good bus service that brings you to the old town in just over half an hour. Take bus 210 (or bus N3 at night) in the direction of Gościnna and get off at the main railway station (Gdańsk Główny) or the stop after (Brama Wyżynna). There are also several companies offering direct shuttle services from the airport to the old town. These will of course be more expensive.

Arriving in Gdańsk by train will likely mean you travel via either Warsaw or Poznań (with connection to Berlin). From Warsaw it’s an approximate six to seven hour journey, and the somewhat less regular service from Poznań takes between four and five hours. Never leave it to the last minute to arrive in Gdańsk. The Polish railways are notorious for their delays and especially the service between Warsaw and Gdańsk is a disaster.

The main railway station (Gdańsk Główny) is located right on the edge of the old town. The old town is extremely compact and you’ll be able to get anywhere on foot. Alternatively there is a reasonable network of buses and trams to get you to other places. Use the excellent journey planner Jakdojade.pl (in English) to plan your trip.

To get to other destinations within the Tricity (e.g. Sopot or Gdynia) you can use the SKM suburban commuter rail service. There is only one line that connects all cities. You can catch the SKM from the main rail station.

Tram 10 and 14 take you from the main rail station to the Arena Gdańsk. Take the tram in the direction of Nowy Port and get off at stop PGE Arena Gdańsk. The journey takes about 13 minutes.

If coming from Sopot with the SKM, get off at stop Politechnika and change to one of the above trams or tram 4.

Where to eat and drink

Eating and drinking in Gdańsk happens in the old town. There is a wide plethora of bars, restaurants, coffee houses, clubs, and outside terraces that cater for most needs. The best strategy is to just walk around the small streets of the old town and pop into a place that attracts your attention.

Gdańsk’s old town also boats a few typical Polish milk bars (cheap semi-self-service restaurants), and loads of regular restaurants with Polish (try the pierogi) or any other international cuisine. Of course, being located so close to the sea, there is also plenty of good sea food on offer.

Gdańsk’s nightlife remains a bit studenty though, and if you want to do some proper clubbing and hard partying, Sopot is your place. Sopot particularly heats up during the summer weekends when the rest of the country heads up to the town to hit the clubs and beaches.

Most of the action in Sopot is centered round the promenade and pier, and in particular around Monte Cassino street, which runs inland from around the pier.

What else to see and do

First take your time to wander around the old town and Motława river area. The medieval port crane (Żuraw) is one of the key monuments of the city.

For some nice views you can go up the Góra Gradowa hill behind the main railway station (not far from the Fan Zone). The nicest park in Gdańsk is probably Park Oliwski, though it is located rather far out of the centre, actually closer to Sopot (station Oliwa on the SKM train).

Closer to the centre you can find Lechia’s old stadium. It’s far from spectacular, but interesting for the real stadium enthusiasts. And you may even get to see the Germans train there. It’s a 15 to 20-minute walk north-west of the Fan Zone.

Sopot is the beach and party destination, though there are plenty other (and quieter) beaches in the area. The artificial island Wyspa Sobieszewska, for example, has some very fine beaches surrounded by nature. It is located east of the city

More beaches can be found toward the north of the city, for example near Rewa, Puck or at the Hel peninsula. Most of these towns also boast a few nightlife options. There are various trains and buses running that way or you can catch a water tram from Gdańsk or Sopot. The journey to Hel takes about two to three hours. Most sea resorts get very crowded during the summer weekends when traffic can be horrendous.

Of greater natural beauty is Słowiński National Park, with its main asset  the largest sand dunes of Europe. The park, located just west of sea resort Łeba, would be a great outing for nature lovers, or those who like to hike.

If you spend at least a few days in Gdańsk, Malbork castle is a must-visit. Malbork is considered Poland’s most beautiful castle and is definitely worth the one-hour train journey south.

If Gdańsk’s old town has captured you, you might find a trip to such medieval towns as Elbląg, Frombork, or Kadyny a good way to spend a few hours. They lie east of Gdańsk, almost in Kalinigrad (Russia). You need a Russian visa to enter Kalinigrad though.

Gdynia is not the most interesting city, but might be good for a change of environment. It’s located directly at the shore, has a few beaches, a port with a few war ships that can be visited, a museum dedicated to the Polish navy, an observation tower, and an aquarium.

And if you turn your football visit into a longer holiday and stick around until early June, you could catch Gdynia’s Open’er Festival, Poland’s largest multi-day music festival featuring many international acts.

Gdańsk 2012 Venue Guide

On Saturday the Houston Dynamo’s new stadium, the BBVA Compass Stadium, officially opened with a match between the Dynamo and DC United. The Dynamo celebrated the opening with a 1-0 win over the visitors from Washington DC.

The BBVA Compass Stadium is the 14th soccer-specific stadium in the Major League Soccer and unique in the sense that it is located in downtown Houston. It can hold just over 22,000 fans.

The match was played for a full house and was attended by several sports celebrities such as retired boxer Oscar De La Hoya and (future) NFL stars Matt Schaub, JJ Watt and Andrew Luck.

We have earlier reported about the BBVA Compass Stadium here and here. You can find a slideshow of the opening here.

More images and match highlights here:

Featured image: © houstondynamo.com

Houston Celebrate Opening of BBVA Compass Stadium

Molde Stadion was built in 1997 at a cost of NOK 212 million. The stadium officially opened on the 18th of April 1998 with a match between Molde and Lillestrøm SK.

In 2006 the stadium was renamed Aker Stadion after the company of club-owner Kjell Inge Røkke.

Getting there

Aker Stadion is located picturesquely on the shore of the Romsdalsfjord, at just a few hundred metres west of the town centre of Molde. The stadium lies right next to the Rica Seilet Hotel, which has become one of the town’s principal landmarks.

Due to the small size of the town it will be easy to find the stadium, either by foot from the centre or by car.

Address: Julsundveien 14, 6412 Molde

Tickets

Tickets for Molde FK games can be bought online via Billettluka.no, at the club shop at the stadium, or at the gates of the stadium on the day of the match.

Molde´s recent successes have significantly increased attendances and the club now regularly sells out matches, though tickets will be easily available in pre-sale for most matches.

A seat ranges in price from NOK 180.00 to NOK 450.00. A standing place costs NOK 160.00.

Relevant Internet links:

Moldefk.no – Official website of Molde FK.
Visitmolde.com – Official travel guide for the Molde region.

Aker Stadion

A couple of snippets of recent stadium news that did not warrant their own post, but are of interest anyway:

• Bristol City’s Ashton Vale saga, about which we have already extensively reported, has taken a turn for the worse as the Bristol City council has decided to drop its defence against the current legal challenges. As a result a public inspector will now hold a public inquiry into the future of the site.
  Bristol City has subsequently stated that this changes little in the situation, but it can hardly be called good news. The only advantage is that this may speed up the decision process, though whether this results in a positive outcome for the club is increasingly doubtful.
• Liverpool’s stuck new stadium plans have in the meantime racked up a considerable bill for the club. The Daily Mail reports that the club has written down £50 million of losses on the stadium project. This is mainly due to the costs made during the Hicks and Gillett era and their proposals for a 70,000 futuristic new stadium. These plans have already been thrown in the bin, but the club has still to decide whether to stay at Anfield or built a new stadium at Stanley Park.
• Chelsea, who recently made a bid for the Battersea Power Station site, have now argued that moving to Battersea is still far from a done deal. Chelsea chief Ron Goulay stated that the club is still investigating a redevelopment of Stamford Bridge, as well as various other sites within a three-mile radius of their current ground. According to Goulay the bid was just a matter of not losing any future opportunities. Of course, this could have been a statement merely aimed at appeasing any disgruntled fans.
• More concrete is the mayor of Napoli, Luigi De Magistris, who again repeated his objective to have a new stadium ready for SSC Napoli in three years time.  The mayor has recently invited interested parties to present their ideas for the project. The Ponitcelli area, close to the Vesuvius volcano, seems to be most concrete. Stadio San Paolo will then be renovated and used for events and women’s football.
• Finally, a Danish study has looked at which of the stadiums that were built for events such as the Olympics and World Cup have been most successful afterwards, and which have ended up as white elephants. The summary does not suggest any big surprises for the average football fan, but we’ll soon have a browse through the 119-page report (pdf) to see if there’s anything more worth reporting.

Quick News Round-Up

In the early 1940s Vélez was without a permanent home when then-president Amalfitani bought a plot of land from the western railroads. The plot was located in a swamp area and the waterlogged soil was by many deemed to be useless.

Still, the president managed to drain the land in two years time and then erected the bleachers of the old stadium Fortín. Estadio José Amalfitani officially opened on the 11^th of April 1943 with a match between Vélez and champions River Plate (2-2).

Construction of a proper concrete stadium started four years later. Works finished another four years later and on the 22^nd of April 1951 a first match was played at the completed stadium.

In 1978 the stadium got renovated to be in line with FIFA requirements for the upcoming 1978 World Cup. At the same time capacity also got increased to its current total. During the World Cup the stadium hosted three matches in the first group stage.

Since then the stadium has hardly changed apart from some minor renovations in the mid 2000s.

Getting there

Estadio José Amalfitani is located in the Liniers area, in the far west of Buenos Aires (Capital Federal). The distance from Buenos Aires’ city centre (Microcentro) is about 14 kilometres. From the Palermo area, which lies more toward the north-east, it is about 10 kilometres.

The stadium is situated just inside Buenos Aires’ main ring road (Av. Gral. Paz). It lies directly adjacent to the Avenida Perito Moreno, a large motorway which runs east-west and connects the city centre in the east (via Av. 25 de Mayo) with the ring road in the west. The stadium also lies just a few blocks off Avenida Rivadavia, which starts in the centre at Plaza de Mayo and runs all the way west.

From the Microcentro the stadium can be reached by train. Train station Liniers is only a few minutes walking away from the stadium. Take the train from station Once (11 de Septiembre) which is located slightly west of the centre (about 15 minutes walking from Plaza del Congreso). Once lies also on the blue (A) and yellow (H) metro lines. Liniers station is a stop on the Once-Moreno train line (or Línea Sarmiento), which has very regular service.

From the Palermo area one can also directly reach the stadium with bus (colectivo) 34. Take the bus from Uriarte (street). The bus then follows Juan B Justo avenue and passes directly past the stadium.

Address: Av. Juan B. Justo 9200, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Tickets

Tickets for Vélez Sarsfield matches can generally be bought from the morning of the day of the match at the ticket windows (boleterías) of the stadium.

Ticket prices may depend somewhat on the match, but a standing place typically costs AR$ 50.00 and a seat in the range of AR$150.00 to AR$190.00. For very high-profile matches (e.g. Boca) prices may get increased to up to AR$300.00.

Relevant Internet links:

Velezsarsfield.com.ar – Official website of CA Vélez Sarsfield.
Bue.gov.ar – Official website of the city of Buenos Aires.
Comoviajo.com – Public transport journey planner.

Estadio José Amalfitani

In the first decades of the 20^th century Santos shared a small ground with several other teams, but after a series of conflicts it decided to buy a plot of land in the Vila Belmiro area.

Praça de Esportes da Vila Belmiro officially opened on the 12^th of October 1916. The first football match, a state championship match between Santos and Iparinga (2-1), was played ten days later.

In 1933 the stadium got renamed Estádio Urbano Caldeira after an ex-player and ex-coach who dedicated large parts of his life to the development of the club.

Over the following decades the stadium underwent several renovations, but always remained a rather modest affair. A record attendance was set in 1964 when 32,989 spectators visited a match between Santos and Corinthians. The match was never finished though as a stand collapsed and injured over a hundred fans.

In 1996 the stadium was temporarily closed to be able to install a new pitch and drainage system. In the following years incremental changes were made to improve the seating areas, and in 1999 new floodlights were installed.

Getting there

Estádio Urbano Caldeira is located in the Vila Belmiro area of Santos, just over 2 kilometres south of the city centre and main bus station. The city’s beaches lie a further 2 kilometres south.

The walk from the centre should take no more than half an hour. Alternatively you can catch bus 23 which brings you to within a block of the stadium. Staying on the bus brings you to the city’s southern beaches.

Address: Rua Princesa Isabel s/n, Vila Belmiro, Santos

Tickets

Tickets for Santos matches can (at times) be bought online via Futbolcard.com, or, generally from a few days before the match, at the stadium or at one of the other pre-sale points.

Pre-sale points that are often used include Alexi Calçados at the Avenida Ana Costa 549 (Shopping Parque Balneário near the southern beaches), Hotel Praiano at the Avenida Barão de Penedo 39 (also near the southern beaches), and Chaveiro Magenta at the Rua Martin Afonso 34 (city centre).

Due to the limited capacity of Vila Belmiro it can at times be hard to get tickets for Santos matches. Generally only 14,000 tickets go on sale and club members have preference in buying them. Once in a while Santos moves a match to one of the São Paulo stadiums to be able to receive a larger crowd.

Ticket prices depend on the match, but generally range somewhere between R$ 30.00 and R$ 150.00.

Relevant Internet links:

Santosfc.com.br – Official website of Santos FC.
Turismosantos.com.br – Tourism information for the city of Santos.

Estádio Urbano Caldeira