Maksimir Stadium
Encyclopedia
Maksimir Stadium is a stadium
in the Croatia
n capital of Zagreb
. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Maksimir
. It is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top football
team in the country. It is also home to Dinamo Zagreb's farm team NK Lokomotiva
.
The stadium was first opened May 5, 1912. Over its history it has gone through many facelifts, but starting in 1997 it received a major rebuilding that lifted its seating capacity
to 38,079. Many of the Croatian national football team
's games are played at Maksimir, which competes with Poljud stadium for the biggest matches. For 16 years the Croatian football team had a proud unbeaten record at this stadium in any competitive match, however on 10 September 2008 (two years after suffering a 2-0 defeat at the same venue) England
became the first team to beat Croatia in Zagreb, winning 4-1, ending a thirty match undefeated streak.
The stadium has also been used as the venue for some big concerts, including U2
, David Bowie
, Bijelo Dugme
, Marko Perković Thompson and Bon Jovi
.
Renovations was to include lowering the lawn and making the “ring” round the pitch in the place of running track and thus gain 16,000 new seats with the annex to he south stand with the final addition of a modern roof structure. Maksimir was to have 60.000 comfortable sitting places and was to be an exclusively football stadium like many others in Europe. It has additionally been planned to built: new premises for Club’s Management, Elegant “Blue Lounge”, Big “Trophy room”, football school premises, changing room, coach staff room, sports hall with gym, out patient clinic, restaurant, luxury hotel (“A” category) with 46 beds for visiting teams special importance will be given to the building which will connect west stand to the north stand. By this, all conditions for hosting and organizing big European matches will be fulfilled (including UEFA offices, press club, press center, V.I.P. hospitality…). With that, the venue was to be one of the best equipped stadiums in Europe http://www.nk-dinamo.hr/en/stadion/Default.aspx but in the beginning of 2000's they were suspended. As of December 2007, the public was awaiting the presentation of new stadium, and in 2008 city government presented two potential stadiums, new Maksimir and Vulkan (Volcano) which is supposed to be built on the another location (Kajzerica) in Zagreb and old Maksimir should then be knocked down, the citizens were to choose which one they want on the referendum predicted to take place somewhere in the near future. However, the city government never made any progress with referendum or these plans and the stadium remaines to be a city shame for a decade now.
In the summer of 2011, a little, but much needed "facelifting" was made on the stadium. All seats were replaced, a new drainage system, under-soil heating and automatic watering were installed along with a new turf, the athletic track was covered with blue artificial grass and all brick surfaces were covered in blue cloth.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in the Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n capital of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Maksimir
Maksimir
Maksimir is one of the neighborhoods of Zagreb, Croatia. Maksimir stadium and Maksimir Park are located in it. It was named after the bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac....
. It is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team in the country. It is also home to Dinamo Zagreb's farm team NK Lokomotiva
NK Lokomotiva
NK Lokomotiva is a Croatian football club based in Zagreb, currently competing in the Prva HNL, the country's top division. Founded originally as ŽŠK Victoria in 1914, the club's only period of success came in the late 1940s and early 1950s before spending most of the following five decades as...
.
The stadium was first opened May 5, 1912. Over its history it has gone through many facelifts, but starting in 1997 it received a major rebuilding that lifted its seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
to 38,079. Many of the Croatian national football team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
's games are played at Maksimir, which competes with Poljud stadium for the biggest matches. For 16 years the Croatian football team had a proud unbeaten record at this stadium in any competitive match, however on 10 September 2008 (two years after suffering a 2-0 defeat at the same venue) England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
became the first team to beat Croatia in Zagreb, winning 4-1, ending a thirty match undefeated streak.
The stadium has also been used as the venue for some big concerts, including U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Bijelo Dugme
Bijelo dugme
Bijelo dugme was a highly influential former Yugoslav rock band, based in Sarajevo. Active between 1974 and 1989, it is widely considered to have been the most popular band ever to exist in former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav rock...
, Marko Perković Thompson and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
.
Renovations
The plans for a massive renovation process were made in 1998, with first phase starting that same year. The old northern stand was demoslihed and a new one arisen within a year.Renovations was to include lowering the lawn and making the “ring” round the pitch in the place of running track and thus gain 16,000 new seats with the annex to he south stand with the final addition of a modern roof structure. Maksimir was to have 60.000 comfortable sitting places and was to be an exclusively football stadium like many others in Europe. It has additionally been planned to built: new premises for Club’s Management, Elegant “Blue Lounge”, Big “Trophy room”, football school premises, changing room, coach staff room, sports hall with gym, out patient clinic, restaurant, luxury hotel (“A” category) with 46 beds for visiting teams special importance will be given to the building which will connect west stand to the north stand. By this, all conditions for hosting and organizing big European matches will be fulfilled (including UEFA offices, press club, press center, V.I.P. hospitality…). With that, the venue was to be one of the best equipped stadiums in Europe http://www.nk-dinamo.hr/en/stadion/Default.aspx but in the beginning of 2000's they were suspended. As of December 2007, the public was awaiting the presentation of new stadium, and in 2008 city government presented two potential stadiums, new Maksimir and Vulkan (Volcano) which is supposed to be built on the another location (Kajzerica) in Zagreb and old Maksimir should then be knocked down, the citizens were to choose which one they want on the referendum predicted to take place somewhere in the near future. However, the city government never made any progress with referendum or these plans and the stadium remaines to be a city shame for a decade now.
In the summer of 2011, a little, but much needed "facelifting" was made on the stadium. All seats were replaced, a new drainage system, under-soil heating and automatic watering were installed along with a new turf, the athletic track was covered with blue artificial grass and all brick surfaces were covered in blue cloth.
Events
- UEFA Euro 1976 - Final tournament held in Yugoslavia, with Maksimir hosting the Netherlands v Czechoslovakia semi-final match and the Netherlands v Yugoslavia third place match.
- 1987 Summer Universiade1987 Summer UniversiadeThe 1987 Summer Universiade, also known as the XIV Summer Universiade, took place in Zagreb, Croatia . It involved participants from 111 countries and over 6,000 individual sportspersons and members of teams.-Medal table:...
- Hosted by Zagreb, for which Maksimir was the central venue. - Dinamo Zagreb–Red Star Belgrade riot - An infamous riot involving Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade supporters which happened on 13 May 1990.
- Yugoslavia v Netherlands (1990)Yugoslavia v Netherlands (1990)On June 3, 1990 Yugoslavia hosted the Netherlands in an international friendly at Zagreb's Maksimir stadium. The match was the last preparation friendly for Ivica Osim's Yugoslavia side ahead of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy...
- Last YugoslaviaYugoslavia national football teamThe Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
match hosted at Maksimir held on 3 June 1990. - Croatia v United States (1990)Croatia v United States (1990)On October 17, 1990 Croatia hosted the United States in an international friendly in Zagreb's Maksimir stadium. This was Croatia's first international match.-Background:...
- The first CroatiaCroatia national football teamThe Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
match in the modern era, held on 17 October 1990 at Maksimir. - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
- 1990. (Sound+Vision tour) - Bijelo DugmeBijelo dugmeBijelo dugme was a highly influential former Yugoslav rock band, based in Sarajevo. Active between 1974 and 1989, it is widely considered to have been the most popular band ever to exist in former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav rock...
22.6.2005 on reunion tour - U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
9.-10.8.2009 - Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
performed here on June 8th, 2011.