INTRO 12 | SPORTS VENUES 2023/24 www.stadiaworld.com The stadiums of the 2023/24 season The highlights of the five large European leagues – England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – will be presented on the following pages. In addition, there is an overview of the geographical allocation of all venues. Some stadiums – especially the largest ones in the respective league – have been keeping their top position for some time now. An example of this is SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, which is the biggest stadium in Germany with a capacity of 81,365. The huge venue was opened in the 1970s, and to stay up to date, the operators regularly invest in the property. Newcomer to the Bundesliga In Germany the stadium of 1.FC Heidenheim, Voith-Arena, will add to the list of Bundesliga venues. For the first time in the club’s history, 1.FC Heidenheim achieved promotion to the Bundesliga this summer. The Voith-Arena, in its current form, has been the home of the FCH since 2010. 13 years ago, the then so-called “Albstadion” was converted into a pure football stadium by means of a major reconstruction, which provided space for 10,000 spectators. In 2011, the stadium was given its current name. For some time now, and regardless of league affiliation, the club has been planning to expand the stadium to 25,000. Another special German venue is the “Stadion An der Alten Försterei”, which is home to 1. FC Union Berlin and now no longer the smallest venue in the league (with 22,012). FCU is also planning to expand its stadium. For the UEFA Champions League games coming up next season (a first, in fact), the club will move to the Olympiastadion, home of city rivals Hertha BSC. Major projects in Spain In Spain, of course, the prestige projects of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid still stand out. Currently, construction is underway in both Barcelona and Madrid, and the two stadiums will be transformed into modern high-tech venues. Even if the sight of the demolition is likely to break the hearts of many football romantics, the departure into the new era is inevitable for Spain’s top clubs. Real’s “Santiago Bernabéu of the 21st Century,” as the club calls it itself, is soon to be finished. FC Barcelona will need to move temporarily and play its home games at the Olympic Stadium, with the modernised stadium probably being ready in 2026. London’s still a hotspot There are plenty of cities in Europe’s top five leagues that host more than one club – but the London metropolis offers a wealth of top-level football. London will again host seven first division teams in the 2023/24 season. In the new season, top-tier football can be watched in London with Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Crystal Palace FC, Tottenham FC, West Ham FC, Brentford FC as well as Fulham FC. A special home stadium is located in Luton, about 50 kilometres north of London. The Kenilworth Road Stadium has a capacity of over 10,000 and has served as the home stadium of the Luton Town FC football club since 1905. The rise of the “Hatters” resembles a fairy tale – for it is the return to the first division after 31 years. In 1992, the club played in England’s top league for the last time, even having been in the fifth division in the meantime. In any case, the dilapidated stadium exudes a special charm – and it is the counterpart to the modern hightech architecture that can be seen, for example, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Due to teams getting promoted and relegated, stadiums have – on average – become significantly smaller in Germany. With the VELTINS-Arena (FC Schalke 04) and the Olympiastadion Berlin (Hertha BSC), two big stadiums (62,271/Schalke and 74,475/Berlin) have left the Bundesliga stage for now. With Heidenheim’s Voith-Arena and Darmstadt’s Merck-Stadium at Böllenfalltor, two smaller, but also younger stadiums are newly added. It comes as no surprise therefore that the average capacity in the Bundesliga decreases, too. Incidentally, as of the 2023/24 season, the Bundesliga is no longer the only championship of the European top five leagues with 18 teams. In fact, the French Ligue 1 decided last year to reduce the number of teams to 18. In the three other leagues, 20 teams are playing in the new season.
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