Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)

Overview

Red Bull Arena

nickname	RB Arena (UEFA competitions)
fullname	Red Bull Arena
former names	Zentralstadion (2004–2010)
address	Am Sportforum 3
city	Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
built	2000–2004
opened	November 17, 2004
renovated	2015
owner	Red Bull Arena Besitzgesellschaft mbH
operator	RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH
surface	Grass
scoreboard	Yes
construction cost	€116 million
seating capacity	47,800 (league matches) 45,228 (international matches)‡R1R‡
tenants	FC Sachsen Leipzig (2004–2009) RB Leipzig (2010–present) Germany national football team (selected matches)
website	rbleipzig.com
dimensions	105 x
mapframe-marker	stadium

Red Bull Arena (formerly Zentralstadion ) is a football stadium located in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, in the Zentrum-Nordwest locality. It is the largest football stadium in Eastern Germany, and has also hosted music concerts as well as football.[2]

Opened in 2004, it is currently the home stadium for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, with FC Sachsen Leipzig having previously used the stadium from its opening until 2009. Due to UEFA sponsorship regulations, the stadium is known as the RB Arena for European matches.[3][4]

Background

In 1956, the first Zentralstadion opened, at the time it was one of the biggest stadiums in Europe being able to hold 100,000 spectators.[5]

History

The Zentralstadion was the only stadium in former East Germany to host games in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[12] 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. From 2005 to 2007, the Zentralstadion was host of the German League Cup final.

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.[13][14]

In the 2010–11 season, Hallescher FC played between three and five games at the Zentralstadion due to their own Kurt-Wabbel Stadion being renovated.[15]

In 2014, the stadium was ranked 17th in the country based on attendance, safety, and number of events.[16]

Future expansion

In October 2015, expansion of the Red Bull Arena was back on the agenda. New plans were made to expand the stadium to 57,000 seats, involving Viennese architect Albert Wimmer. Reconstruction could start in the summer break of 2016.[17] In January 2016, the club decided to put the plans on hold, at least until 2017.[18]

In December 2016, RB Leipzig proposed that the stadium would be sold from former owner Michael Kölmel to the club to continue the plans from the 2015 agenda. Due to the move of the arena into ownership of Red Bull, a new stadium was deemed infeasible. The Stadium will expand to a total of 53,840 Seats as of Summer 2021, beginning from November 2018, when construction works will start.[19][20]

Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)

Background

History

Future expansion

Facilities

External dimensions

2006 FIFA World Cup

UEFA Euro 2024

Other uses

See also

External links

References