De Kuip
De Kuip, officially called Stadion Feijenoord, is one of the stadiums with the most hosted finals in European tournaments, and home to Feyenoord Rotterdam. It is the second largest stadium of the Netherlands with a capacity of 51,177 seats.
In the early 1930s then Feyenoord president Van Zandvliet came up with the idea to build a new stadium that would hold 65,000 spectators. Two architects were send on a study trip abroad and got particularly inspired by the newly constructed double-decker stand at Highbury.
Construction of the two-tier bowl-shaped stadium started in 1935 and finished only 10 months later. The stadium officially opened on the 23rd of July 1936, however, as the Rotterdam government had failed to upgrade the infrastructure around the stadium, it took until the 27th of March 1937 for the first match to be played, which saw Feyenoord defeat Belgian side Beerschot 5-2. A month later the Dutch national team played its first match at the stadium against Belgium.
In its history the stadium has hosted a total of six Cup Winners’ Cup finals: the first in 1963 (Tottenham-Atlético Madrid), the second in 1968 (Milan-Hamburg), the third in 1974 (Magdeburg-Milan), the fourth in 1985 (Everton-Rapid Wien), the fifth in 1991 (Manchester United-Barcelona), and the sixth in 1997 (Barcelona-Paris Saint-Germain).
The stadium furthermore hosted two European Cup finals: the first in 1972 between Ajax and Internazionale (2-0) and the second in 1982 between Aston Villa and FC Bayern (1-0). To top it off the stadium saw home side Feyenoord beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the 2002 UEFA Cup final.
The last two finals were played after the stadium had already gone through an extensive renovation project. By the early 90s the stadium was slowly crumbling away up to the point that it could hardly meet safety requirements, and renovations proved to be necessary. The works included the construction of a roof over the previously uncovered stands, and a range of new sponsor facilities.
In the 90s the stadium was selected to host the final of Euro 2000, chosen over the more modern and slightly bigger Amsterdam ArenA. During the tournament the stadium hosted three group matches, the quarter-final between Holland and Yugoslavia (6-1), and the final between France and Italy (2-1).
For years Feyenoord has been looking at either renovating the current stadium, or building a completely new one. Tentative plans exist for the construction of a 85,000-all seater on the banks of the river Meuse, however the local government has repeatedly postponed any decisions regarding the project, and realisation seems very insecure due to financing difficulties.
Getting there
De Kuip lies on the south bank of the river Meuse, just a few hundred metres away from the river, but about 4.5 kilometres from Rotterdam’s city centre and more than 5.5 kilometres from the central rail station.
The stadium can be best reached by car from the A16 motorway. Take exit 24 Feijenoord (if coming from the north the first after the Van Brienenoord bridge over the Meuse). Follow the Stadionweg west until reaching the stadium.
If arriving by public transport, take tram line 23 from Rotterdam’s central rail station. After a 20-minute journey get off at stop Stadion Feijenoord. On matchdays one can also take tram 29.
From rail station Lombardijen, also on the south bank, take tram 2 in the direction of Charlois. After a 6-minute journey get off at either station Beukendaal or Breeplein. The stadium is a further 10-minute walk away. Both trams run at least every 10 minutes.
On matchdays it is also possible to catch a train from Rotterdam Central Station (or Dordrecht) to station Stadion Feijenoord, which lies adjacent to the stadium. On non-matchdays there is no train service to this station.
Address: Van Zandvlietplein 1, 3077 AA Rotterdam
Tickets
Tickets for Feyenoord matches can be bought online (Dutch only), via one of the Ticketbox sales points, or at the ticket booths at the stadium.
If tickets remain available, the ticket booths open on the day of the match from 3.5 hours before kick-off.
For some matches possession of a Feyenoord Club Card is required to be able to buy tickets. Feyenoord has selected 7 matches for which this is the case during the 2011/2012 season.
Tickets for Feyenoord games cost either €22.50 or €27.50. For more information call +31 (0) 900 1908 or contact the club via the online form.
Stadium tours
De Kuip organises guided stadium tours that include the players tunnel, VIP areas, and the Feyenoord Museum. The tour lasts about 90 minutes.
Tours run every Wednesday at 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm, and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. The museum is opened from 12:30 pm until 4:30 pm on Wednesdays, and from 10:30 am until 4:30 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. De Kuip organises special tours for matchdays.
The tours are limited to a certain number of participants, so reservations are recommended, especially during school holidays. Bookings can be made online, or by phone +31 (0) 10 292 6822. The tour costs €11.50, a museum visit only €5.00.
Relevant Internet links:
Feyenoord.nl – Official website of Feyenoord Rotterdam.
Dekuip.nl – Official website of De Kuip.
Rotterdam.info – Website of the Rotterdam tourist board.
RET.nl – Rotterdam public transport information.
9292ov.nl – Public transport journey planner.
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