Key facts
Club: AFC Rapid Bucuresti | Opening: 1939 | Closing: 2018 | Final capacity: 19,100 seats
History and description
Stadionul Giulesti-Valentin Stanescu officially opened on 10 June 1939. It quickly earned itself the nickname “Portcoava”, or “Horseshoe”, because one end had been left open.
The stadium remained mostly the same until the mid-1980s when a makeshift stand was placed at the open end. Ten years later, the end was closed with a proper concrete stand.
Stadionul Giulesti was further refurbished in 2003, which included the removal of the iron perimeter fencing, a new pitch and drainage system, and improved VIP facilities.
In 2016, Rapid Bucharest went bankrupt and restarted as AFC Rapid in the Romanian 5th division, though kept playing at Giulesti.
Around the same time, the club started making plans for the renovation or reconstruction of the stadium. In the end they settled for the construction of a new 14,000 all-seater.
Stadionul Giulesto got demolised in 2018, following which construction of the new ground started.