Ramat Gan Stadium
| Ramat Gan Stadium אצטדיון רמת גן |
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|---|---|
| The National Stadium האצטדיון הלאומי |
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| Location | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Broke ground | Early 1950 |
| Opened | Late 1951 |
| Expanded | 1981 |
| Owner | Israel Football Association |
| Surface | Grass |
| Architect | Ivor Shaw Friba |
| Capacity | 41,583 (football)[1] |
| Field dimensions | 105 × 68 m (115 × 74 yd)[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Israel national football team Maccabiah Games (1950–1997, 2005–present) |
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Ramat Gan Stadium (Hebrew: איצטדיון רמת גן, Itztadion Ramat Gan) is the national football stadium in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel.
Completed in 1951 and serving as Israel's largest stadium ever since, this all-seated stadium contains 41,583 seats,[1] 13,370 of which are located in the Western Tribune,[1] completed in 1982 - at the time the stadium went through a major refurbishing process.
The stadium is mixed-use, fit for athletic competitions alongside its more regular usage as a football stadium when it hosts Israel international football matches along with the home UEFA Champions League matches of Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa in the 2004–05 and 2009–10 seasons, respectively. The pitch dimensions are 105 m × 68 m (115 × 74 yd),[1] with a 10,500 m2 (2.6 acres) lawn. The stadium's plot area is 36,000 m2 (8.9 acres).
The stadium also contains six dressing rooms, meeting halls, a conference center, press rooms, referees' room and medical and drug-test clinics. It is sided by two training fields, large athletes clinic, a cafe-restaurant, and a 3,900 space open-air car park. It also houses the headquarters of the Israel Football Association.[1]
The artificial lighting conditions in the stadium are on the same level with the world's top stadiums, offering a max 1,550 lux on every part of the pitch.
This is the only stadium in Israel which is world-class standard, and the only one to host official FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and UEFA Champions League games, although Hapoel Tel Aviv got permission to stage their 2010 Champions League games at the Bloomfield Stadium. The stadium is also the location for opening ceremonies of the Maccabiah Games.
There are plans to tear down the stadium and rebuild a bigger one, which is expected to have the capacity of 60,000 people. The stadium will cost more than US$100 million and is expected to start construction in late 2011 and finish in early 2015.[2]
[edit] Entertainment
The stadium has hosted musical acts such as R.E.M. Elton John, Depeche Mode, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Leonard Cohen, Sting, Metallica and Bob Dylan.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f About The National Stadium Israel Football Association
- ^ Weiss, Reuben; Petersburg, Nofar (30 March 2006). "The Plan: To Demolish and Rebuild Ramat Gan Stadium". Yedioth Ahronoth. http://www.skyscraperlife.com/bon-bonim/87-israeli-future-stadiums.html. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
Coordinates: 32°6′1″N 34°49′27″E / 32.10028°N 34.82417°E
| Preceded by Dongdaemun Stadium  Seoul |
AFC Asian Cup Host Venue 1964 |
Succeeded by Amjadieh Stadium  Tehran |
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