Home of the Arsenal Football Club, the Emirates Stadium is a football stadium in Holloway, England. It was known as Ashburton Grove prior to sponsorship deal with Emirates.
Emirates Stadium is also known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions. It is the third largest football stadium in England with a capacity of 59,867.
History
In 2006, the project to build the entire stadium was completed at a cost of £390 million which was capable of hosting international fixtures and music concerts.
After development proposals and finance procedures, the Emirates Stadium was officially opened by Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh on 26 October 2006.
Major matches
The stadium has been a host for a number of international friendly matches. Interestingly, the Brazilian national team has been a part of all of them.
It hosted a Premier League match of Arsenal against Manchester United on 3 November 2007 which recorded the highest attendance in Emirates stadium for a Premier League match.
The highest attendance recorded at the stadium was about 60,500 for a match between the hosts and Tottenham Hotspur in February 2012.
UEFA Champions League matches are also hosted in Emirates Stadium.
Funding and Naming Rights
Arsenal secured a £260 million loan from a group of banks led by the Royal Bank of Scotland whereas the remaining amount was arranged by other means as the construction cost of building the stadium was estimated at £400 million.
The naming rights of the stadium was bought by Emirates at an estimated cost of £100 million for a 15-year deal. The former name of the stadium was Ashburton Grove, which is used by some supporters even today.
Due to UEFA regulations on stadium sponsors, the ground is referred to as Arsenal Stadium for European matches.
In November 2012, a new deal was agreed between Emirates and Arsenal worth £150 million to extend the naming rights till 2028.
Renovation and Maintenance
The capacity of the stadium has been reduced recently due to safety reasons and improvements in facilities for disabled supporters.
To add an extra 780 seats to their club Level areas, Arsenal will start a two-stage renovation project which will take place over the summers of 2018 and 2019. The stadium will hold over 60,600 spectators after completion.
