Volksparkstadion is a football stadium in Hamburg, Germany, which serves as the home of Bundesliga side Hamburger SV. It was called Imtech arena for a brief spell from 2010 to 2015.
Volksparkstadion Stadium Capacity
The stadium has a standing capacity of 57,000 whereas the seating capacity comes up to 51,000. It is one of the numerous world class stadiums in Germany and has hosted many international matches.
It is a UEFA Category 4 Stadium which means it meets UEFA criteria and standards and can host Europa League and Champions League finals.
History
Volksparkstadion was built as a reconstruction of the Bahrenfeld Stadion, which was constructed way back in 1925. A new stadium was built on the site of Bahrenfeld stadion which was christened Volkspark. The first match after the rebuilding was an international between Germany and Greece.
Hamburger did not have the stadium as their home from the start. It was only when Hamburger qualified for the newly formed top flight- Bundesliga, that they shifted their base to Volksparkstadion.
The stadium has undergone many name changes over the recent years. It was called AOL Arena and then HSH Nordbank Arena for some time. Till recently, the stadium was named on its sponsor Imtech when in 2015, the original name was readopted.
Notable Matches
The stadium is frequently used for international fixtures by the German national team. It hosted matches during the FIFA World Cups of 1974 and 2006, and during the 1988 Euro Cup.
In the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was the venue of the famous politically charged match between East Germany and West Germany, which the East Germans won 1-0.
The stadium hosted five matches in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, including a quarter-final clash between eventual champions Italy and tournament debutants Ukraine.
It was also the venue for the final of 2010 Europa League, which Atletico Madrid won by defeating Fulham 2-0.
Recent Matches
The stadium is a regular host of various domestic soccer events like Bundesliga, German Cup etc. for Hamburger SV. There is a massive fanbase of Hamburger and usually the home games played here draw huge crowds.
The maximum turnout recorded here was in a Bayern Munich vs. Hamburger match where the home team defeated the German superpowers. But it is a common sight here at Volkspark to witness full turnout.
