Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion
Encyclopedia
The Mercedes-Benz Arena is a stadium located in Stuttgart
, Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
and home to German Bundesliga
club VfB Stuttgart
.
Before 1993 it was called Neckarstadion, named after the nearby river Neckar
and between 1993 and July 2008 it was called Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. From the 2008-09 season, the stadium was renamed the Mercedes-Benz Arena, starting with a pre-season friendly against Arsenal
on 30 July 2008.
. After It was built, it was named "Adolf-Hitler-Kampfbahn". From 1945 to 1949 it was called Century Stadium and later Kampfbahn and was used by US Troops to play baseball.The name Neckarstadion was used since 1949. It is home to VfB Stuttgart
in the Bundesliga (and to the Stuttgarter Kickers
when they played in the Bundesliga )
After a major refurbishment in the late 1980s and early 1990s partly financed by Daimler-Benz
, the Stuttgart town council dedicated the stadium to Gottlieb Daimler
. The inventor had tested both the first internal combustion motorcycle and the first 4-wheel automobile there in the 1880s, on the road from Cannstatt to Untertürkheim (now called Mercedesstraße). The new museum, the headquarters and a factory of Mercedes-Benz
are nearby.
The stadium capacity is currently around 41,000, after one stand (Untertürkheimer Kurve) has been demolished during summer 2009 in the process of converting it to a pure football arena. The rebuilt arena will be finished in December 2011 with a new capacity of 60,000.
It is divided into four sections,
The Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion features a unique roof construction, making it easily recognizable. Made of precision-tailored membranes of PVC-coated polyester, the roof tissue is durable enough to withstand 1,000kg of weight per square decimeter. It is suspended from an aesthetic steel frame that runs around the entire stadium weighing approximately 2,700 metric tons. The steel cables connecting the roof to the frame alone weigh about 420 tons. The roof wasn't added until the refurbishment preceding the 1993 World Athletics Championships
.
, two matches of the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship
(a 1st Round match and a semi-final) and six games of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, including a Round of 16 game and the third-place playoff match (see below for details).
The stadium also hosted the finals of the European Cup
(now known as UEFA Champions League) in 1959
(Real Madrid
vs. Stade de Reims) and 1988
(PSV Eindhoven vs. S.L. Benfica).
was set, and the 1993 World Athletics Championships were held there, and the Daimler-Stadium was the host the IAAF World Athletics final from 2006 to 2008. The arena has also been the venue of several Eurobowl
finals of American Football
in the 1990s. The last athletics event took place in September 2008, after which the stadium undergoes redevelopment in order to build a football-only arena.
in Frankfurt
.
Within the first couple of weeks of the redevelopment, 18 undetonated bombs left over from air raids on Stuttgart during the Second World War were found on the construction site.
:
:
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and home to German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
club VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
.
Before 1993 it was called Neckarstadion, named after the nearby river Neckar
Neckar
The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
and between 1993 and July 2008 it was called Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. From the 2008-09 season, the stadium was renamed the Mercedes-Benz Arena, starting with a pre-season friendly against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
on 30 July 2008.
History
The stadium was originally built in 1933 after designs by German architect Paul BonatzPaul Bonatz
Paul Bonatz was a German architect, member of the Stuttgart School and professor at the technical university in that city during part of World War II and from 1954 until his death....
. After It was built, it was named "Adolf-Hitler-Kampfbahn". From 1945 to 1949 it was called Century Stadium and later Kampfbahn and was used by US Troops to play baseball.The name Neckarstadion was used since 1949. It is home to VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
in the Bundesliga (and to the Stuttgarter Kickers
Stuttgarter Kickers
Stuttgarter Kickers is a German association football club that plays in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, founded on 21 September 1899 as FC Stuttgarter Cickers...
when they played in the Bundesliga )
After a major refurbishment in the late 1980s and early 1990s partly financed by Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
, the Stuttgart town council dedicated the stadium to Gottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Daimler was an engineer, industrial designer and industrialist born in Schorndorf , in what is now Germany. He was a pioneer of internal-combustion engines and automobile development...
. The inventor had tested both the first internal combustion motorcycle and the first 4-wheel automobile there in the 1880s, on the road from Cannstatt to Untertürkheim (now called Mercedesstraße). The new museum, the headquarters and a factory of Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
are nearby.
The stadium capacity is currently around 41,000, after one stand (Untertürkheimer Kurve) has been demolished during summer 2009 in the process of converting it to a pure football arena. The rebuilt arena will be finished in December 2011 with a new capacity of 60,000.
It is divided into four sections,
- the Haupttribüne (main stands), adjacent to Mercedesstraße, housing VIP-lounges and press seats
- the EnBWEnBWEnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, or simply EnBW, is a publicly traded electric utilities company headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany.-History:...
-Tribüne (formerly Gegentribüne, lit: opposite stands), currently named after VfB Stuttgart's main sponsor EnBWEnBWEnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, or simply EnBW, is a publicly traded electric utilities company headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany.-History:... - the Cannstatter Kurve (Cannstatt Curve), to the left of the Haupttribüne, before rebuilding it housed legendary Blocks A and B, which occupied by the most devoted home fans, and one of two video walls. Now die hard home fans stand in the new "heart of Cannstatter Kurve" in Bloks 34 and 35 in center of the curve directly behind the goal.
- the Untertürkheimer Kurve (Untertürkheim Curve), to the right of the Haupttribühne, housing the guest team's fans (C and D-Block) and the second video wall
The Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion features a unique roof construction, making it easily recognizable. Made of precision-tailored membranes of PVC-coated polyester, the roof tissue is durable enough to withstand 1,000kg of weight per square decimeter. It is suspended from an aesthetic steel frame that runs around the entire stadium weighing approximately 2,700 metric tons. The steel cables connecting the roof to the frame alone weigh about 420 tons. The roof wasn't added until the refurbishment preceding the 1993 World Athletics Championships
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
.
International matches
The Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion hosted four matches of the 1974 FIFA World Cup1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
, two matches of the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship
1988 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football...
(a 1st Round match and a semi-final) and six games of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, including a Round of 16 game and the third-place playoff match (see below for details).
The stadium also hosted the finals of the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(now known as UEFA Champions League) in 1959
European Cup 1958-59
The 1958–59 European Cup was the fourth season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football tournament. The competition was won by Real Madrid for the fourth time in a row, who beat Stade Reims 2–0 in the final at Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, on 3 June 1959...
(Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
vs. Stade de Reims) and 1988
European Cup 1987-88
The season 1987–88 of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the first time by PSV on penalties in the final against two-times winners Benfica...
(PSV Eindhoven vs. S.L. Benfica).
Trivia
- As Stuttgart is located relatively close to Germany's southern neighbors SwitzerlandSwitzerland national football teamThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, it has hosted a total of seven international football matches versus the Swiss since 1911.
- GermanyGermany national football teamThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
's first international football match after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1950 (against Switzerland) was played at the stadium. The match attendance of 103,000 is the stadium record. The first match after the German reunificationGerman reunificationGerman reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990 (also versus Switzerland) took place at Neckarstadion Stadium as well.
- Klaus FischerKlaus FischerKlaus Fischer is a German former football player and coach.-Career:Fischer was born in Kreuzstraßl, near Lindberg in the district of Regen....
scored Germany's "ARD Goal of the Century" here against the Swiss in 1977, with a bicycle kickBicycle kickA Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
("Fallrückzieher"), his trademark move with which he also scored the important 3:3 equalizer in extra time (108th minute) at the 1982 FIFA World Cup vs France, but this was not among the Top 10 of the WC Goal of the Century.
- With 115 m² each, the stadium's two video walls before rebuilding were the largest in Europe, now it has the two video walls with the highest resolution in Europe.
- The Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion was one of the four stadiums hosting games during the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
whose name were not changed to FIFA World Cup Stadium XYZ, as the dedication to Gottlieb Daimler was not interpreted as advertisement (i.e. for DaimlerChryslerDaimlerChryslerDaimler AG is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm...
). All others, such as the Allianz-Arena in MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
or the AOL-Arena in HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
were obliged to remove all visual references to their stadiums' nameAllianzSE is a global financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core business and focus is insurance. As of 2010, it was the world's 12th-largest financial services group and 23rd-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.Its Allianz Global Investors...
sponsorsAOLAOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
.
Sports other than football
The 1986 European Athletics Championships in which the legendary hammer throw world record by Yuriy SedykhYuriy Sedykh
Yuriy Georgiyevich Sedykh is a retired Soviet/Ukrainian athlete who represented the USSR, specialising in the hammer throw....
was set, and the 1993 World Athletics Championships were held there, and the Daimler-Stadium was the host the IAAF World Athletics final from 2006 to 2008. The arena has also been the venue of several Eurobowl
Eurobowl
The Eurobowl is both the final game and the trophy of the European Football League , a European American football contest.-Eurobowls:-Champions:...
finals of American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
in the 1990s. The last athletics event took place in September 2008, after which the stadium undergoes redevelopment in order to build a football-only arena.
Redevelopment
Starting in 2009, the Mercedes-Benz Arena will be redeveloped into a football-only stadium. It is planned that new stands will be constructed by the summer of 2011, with pitch level being lowered by 1.30 metres in time for the beginning of the 2009–2010 season. Once all the interior redevelopment is finished, the roof will be expanded to cover new rows of seats. The entire construction is expected to be finished by the end of 2011. The redevelopment was announced along with the stadium's name change in late March 2008. The first computer images of the new arena were released at the same time, also showing a large cube with four video scoreboards above the centre circle, similar to the one in the Commerzbank-ArenaCommerzbank-Arena
The Commerzbank-Arena is a sports stadium in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Commonly known by its original name, Waldstadion , the stadium opened in 1925. The stadium has been upgraded several times since then; the most recent remodelling was its redevelopment as a football-only stadium in preparation...
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
Within the first couple of weeks of the redevelopment, 18 undetonated bombs left over from air raids on Stuttgart during the Second World War were found on the construction site.
1974 FIFA World Cup
Stuttgart hosted the following matches at the 1974 FIFA World Cup1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
:
| Date | Time(CET) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-06-15 | 18.00 | 3-2 | 1st round, Group 4 | 31,500 | ||
| 1974-06-19 | 19.30 | 1-1 | 1st round, Group 4 | 68,900 | ||
| 1974-06-23 | 16.00 | 2-1 | 1st round, Group 4 | 68,900 | ||
| 1974-06-26 | 19.30 | 0-1 | 2nd round, Group B | 43,755 |
UEFA Euro 1988
| Date | Time(CET) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-06-12 | 15.30 | 0-1 | 1st round, Group B | 51,573 | ||
| 1988-06-22 | 20.15 | 2-0 | Semi-finals | 61,606 |
2006 FIFA World Cup
The following games were played at the stadium during the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
:
| Date | Time(CET) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-06-13 | 18.00 | 0-0 | Group G 2006 FIFA World Cup - Group G Play in Group G of the 2006 FIFA World Cup completed on June 23, 2006. Switzerland won the group, and advanced to the second round, along with France. South Korea and Togo failed to advance... |
52,000 | ||
| 2006-06-16 | 18.00 | 2-1 | Group C 2006 FIFA World Cup - Group C Play in Group C of the 2006 FIFA World Cup completed on 21 June 2006. Argentina won the group, and advanced to the second round, along with Netherlands. The two sides tied for points in the standings, but Argentina won the tie-break on goal difference, and so won the group with the Netherlands in... |
52,000 | ||
| 2006-06-19 | 21.00 | 3-1 | Group H 2006 FIFA World Cup - Group H Play in Group H of the 2006 FIFA World Cup completed on June 23, 2006. Spain won the group, and advanced to the second round, along with Ukraine. Tunisia and Saudi Arabia failed to advance.Detailed results of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Group H... |
52,000 | ||
| 2006-06-22 | 21.00 | 2-2 | Group F 2006 FIFA World Cup - Group F Play in Group F of the 2006 FIFA World Cup completed on 22 June 2006. Brazil won the group, and advanced to the second round, along with Australia receiving runner-up in the group... |
52,000 | ||
| 2006-06-25 | 17.00 | 1-0 | Round of 16 | 52,000 | ||
| 2006-07-08 | 21.00 | 3-1 | Third place match | 52,000 |