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Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)
Encyclopedia
The Red Bull Arena, formerly Zentralstadion, located in Leipzig
, Saxony
, Germany
, is the premier football facility in the former East Germany. It is the largest football stadium in the former East Germany and has also hosted music concerts as well as football. Various Leipzig football teams have used the stadium as a home stadium, including VfB Leipzig (precursor to 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig) at various points in the 20th century (including large-scale European matches in the 1970s and domestic football in the 1990s. FC Sachsen Leipzig
used the stadium as a home ground from time to time between 2004 and 2007, however they moved back to their traditional home, the Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark
at the start of the 2008–09 season.
In July 2009, energy drink manufacturer Red Bull
took over the license of SSV Markranstädt and renamed the team RasenBallsport Leipzig
, in short RB Leipzig. From the outset, the new team outlined their wish to move into the tenant-less Zentralstadion and rename it the "Red Bull Arena". The naming rights were granted on 25 March 2010 and the stadium will be named so for a minimum period of 10 years as of 1 July 2010. The cost for renting the stadium will rise in accordance with the level of football RasenBallsport Leipzig are at. The team has pledged to upgrade the seating, install video advertising boards and make changes to the boxes and the VIP area.
For the 2010–11 season, Hallescher FC
will play between three and five games at the Zentralstadion due the their own Kurt-Wabbel Stadion
being renovated. The games played at the Zentralstadion will be those likely to pose the biggest security risk, as Hallescher FC will be temporarily moving to the 4,500 capacity Neustädter Stadion during the construction work. These "high-security" games will be the matches against 1. FC Magdeburg
, Chemnitzer FC
, its home game against RB Leipzig
and a possible match against a team relegated from the 3. Liga
. This move was necessary to secure a license from the German Football Association
for next season.
In 1956, the first Zentralstadion
opened, at the time it was the biggest stadium in Europe being able to hold 100,000 spectators. However, over the years it fell in to disuse and was costing the city too much to maintain. In 1997, the city of Leipzig decided to build a new stadium within the old stadium, a modern state of the art stadium only for football
. The new stadium was built from December 2000 till March 2004.
The Zentralstadion was the only stadium in the former East Germany to host games in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. It hosted four group matches and a round of 16 game in the tournament. A year earlier, it was also one of the venues for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
and hosted three matches of the tournament, including the third-place match. Since 2005, the Zentralstadion is also regular host of the German League Cup final.
, the only one located in the territory of the former East Germany.
The following games were played at the stadium during the 2006 World Cup:
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, 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...
, is the premier football facility in the former East Germany. It is the largest football stadium in the former East Germany and has also hosted music concerts as well as football. Various Leipzig football teams have used the stadium as a home stadium, including VfB Leipzig (precursor to 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig) at various points in the 20th century (including large-scale European matches in the 1970s and domestic football in the 1990s. FC Sachsen Leipzig
FC Sachsen Leipzig
FC Sachsen Leipzig was a German football club from Leipzig, Saxony. The roots of the club go back to 1899 and the founding of Britannia Leipzig. Following World War I, a 1919 merger with FC Hertha 05 Leipzig created Leipziger Sportverein 1899...
used the stadium as a home ground from time to time between 2004 and 2007, however they moved back to their traditional home, the Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark
Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark
Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark is a multi-use stadium in Leipzig, Germany . It is used as the stadium of FC Sachsen Leipzig matches. The capacity of the stadium is 10,889 spectators.-External links:*...
at the start of the 2008–09 season.
In July 2009, energy drink manufacturer Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
took over the license of SSV Markranstädt and renamed the team RasenBallsport Leipzig
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig is a German association football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. The club is supported by energy drink-maker Red Bull who purchased the license of fifth division side SSV Markranstädt with the intention of advancing the re-modeled club to the top-flight Bundesliga within ten years...
, in short RB Leipzig. From the outset, the new team outlined their wish to move into the tenant-less Zentralstadion and rename it the "Red Bull Arena". The naming rights were granted on 25 March 2010 and the stadium will be named so for a minimum period of 10 years as of 1 July 2010. The cost for renting the stadium will rise in accordance with the level of football RasenBallsport Leipzig are at. The team has pledged to upgrade the seating, install video advertising boards and make changes to the boxes and the VIP area.
For the 2010–11 season, Hallescher FC
Hallescher FC
Hallescher FC is a German association football club based in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt.-History:The club's roots are in the 1946 formation of SG Glaucha in Soviet-occupied East Germany around the core of Hallescher Fußball-Club Wacker which was founded in 1900...
will play between three and five games at the Zentralstadion due the their own Kurt-Wabbel Stadion
Kurt-Wabbel Stadion
The Kurt-Wabbel-Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Halle , Germany. It is currently used mostly for football matches and has a capacity of 23,860....
being renovated. The games played at the Zentralstadion will be those likely to pose the biggest security risk, as Hallescher FC will be temporarily moving to the 4,500 capacity Neustädter Stadion during the construction work. These "high-security" games will be the matches against 1. FC Magdeburg
1. FC Magdeburg
1. FC Magdeburg is a German association football club playing in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt.-History:Football has been played in Magdeburg since the end of the 19th century. On 15 June 1896 SV Victoria 96 Magdeburg was founded, a club that had its best days before World War II, when it participated...
, Chemnitzer FC
Chemnitzer FC
Chemnitzer FC is a German association football club based in Chemnitz, Saxony.The roots of the club go back to its establishment as Chemnitzer BC 1933 in 1933 after the collapse of former Chemnitzer BC 1899....
, its home game against RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig is a German association football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. The club is supported by energy drink-maker Red Bull who purchased the license of fifth division side SSV Markranstädt with the intention of advancing the re-modeled club to the top-flight Bundesliga within ten years...
and a possible match against a team relegated from the 3. Liga
3rd Liga
The 3rd Liga is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third tier football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2...
. This move was necessary to secure a license from the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
for next season.
History
In 1956, the first Zentralstadion
Zentralstadion (1956)
Zentralstadion was a multi-use stadium in Leipzig, Germany. It was initially used as the stadium of Lokomotive Leipzig matches. It was replaced by the current Zentralstadion in 2004. The capacity of the stadium was 100,000 spectators.-External links:* *...
opened, at the time it was the biggest stadium in Europe being able to hold 100,000 spectators. However, over the years it fell in to disuse and was costing the city too much to maintain. In 1997, the city of Leipzig decided to build a new stadium within the old stadium, a modern state of the art stadium only for 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...
. The new stadium was built from December 2000 till March 2004.
The Zentralstadion was the only stadium in the former East Germany to host games in 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...
. It hosted four group matches and a round of 16 game in the tournament. A year earlier, it was also one of the venues for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...
and hosted three matches of the tournament, including the third-place match. Since 2005, the Zentralstadion is also regular host of the German League Cup final.
Facilities
There are bridges built over the old stadium to connect with the new stadium. The roof has an integrated floodlight design and is designed to provide superior acoustics. The grass area is 120 x 80 m, the actual playing field is 105 x 68 m. It has been integrated into the area surrounding the stadium by large amounts of trees and other greenery.External dimensions
- North to South: 230 m
- East to West: 210 m
- Height to Roof: 46.5 m
- Roof Area: 28,100 m²
- Map Coordinates: 51° 20' 44" N; 12° 20' 54" E
2006 FIFA World Cup
The stadium was one of the venues for 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...
, the only one located in the territory of the former East Germany.
The following games were played at the stadium during the 2006 World Cup:
| Date | Time (CEST) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 June 2006 | 15:00 |  Serbia and Montenegro |
0–1 |  NetherlandsNetherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... |
Group C | 37,216 |
| 14 June 2006 | 15:00 |  SpainSpain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
4–0 |  UkraineUkraine national football team The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992... |
Group H | 43,000 |
| 18 June 2006 | 21:00 |  FranceFrance national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
1–1 |  Korea RepublicKorea Republic national football team The Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,... |
Group G | 43,000 |
| 21 June 2006 | 16:00 |  IranIran national football team The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran... |
1–1 |  AngolaAngola national football team The Angola national football team, nicknamed Palancas Negras , is the national team of Angola and is controlled by the Federação Angolana de Futebol. Angola reached 45th in the FIFA Rankings in July 2002... |
Group D | 38,000 |
| 24 June 2006 | 21:00 |  ArgentinaArgentina national football team The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro... |
2–1 (AET Overtime (sports) Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination... ) |
 MexicoMexico national football team The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre... |
Round of 16 | 43,000 |