Warsaw
The National Stadium in Warsaw which has a capacity of 60 thousand seats will be built in the place where at present is the 10th Anniversary Stadium, or next to Washington roundabout in Prague-South. According to current conception the National Stadium is expected to be the main element of a sports-recreational centre (“the National Sport Centre”) which will including among others: a pool with Olympic parameters, a sports-auditorium hall on 15 thousand seats, as well as commercial part (shop centres, gastronomic centres).
The Central Sports Centre in Warsaw is the institution which is responsible for realization of investments. The whole investment is estimated at about 1,2 mld zlotys including cost of the stadium- about 650 mln zlotys.
The whole complex should be finished around 2010. The National Stadium is expected to be one of the main centres of the European Football Championships Euro 2012- where according to the original scheme it will be played among others: the opening match, some of the group matches, one quarter-final and one semi-final.
Towards the end of April 2007 the mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, made a decision about the conditions of building development and developing of land for the investment of building the National Stadium.
Gdansk
The project of the stadium was executed by the Rhode-Kellermann-Wawrowsky company from Dusseldorf, which has also built the famous stadium in Gelsenkirchen and in Hanover. In April 2008, works on the preparation of the ground for the construction of the stadium began and a few months later ground works were started.
The official commencement of construction of the stadium was in May 2009. The works were to be finished at the end of 2010, but this deadline was not met due to various reasons.
On 9 June 2011 PGE Arena was to be opened. The most important point of the opening of the stadium was to be the match between Poland and France. Hectic works on preparation of the stadium lasted almost until the last minute. However, construction teams did not manage to meet the deadline and the police did not issue the permission for organizing a public event. The match between Poland and France took part in Warsaw due to safety reasons.
The stadium was opened on 10 July 2011. The first football match played on PGE Arena was the match between T-Mobile Football League Lechia Gdańsk – Cracovia (1-1). Fans managed to see the Polish national team in action. Players of Franciszek Smuda played a match at the stadium with the German team. There were almost 38000 spectators. Fans admired not only the beautiful stadium but also see Polish players in action. The match ended in a draw 2:2.
The stadium capacity is 42000 seats. The PGE Arena has 40 VIP boxes and more than 1300 business seats. The title sponsor of the stadium is the Polish Energy Group and the 5-year contract was signed in May 2010.
Baltic Areas Stadium is regarded to be the most attractive project of the stadium among all objects which were offered by Poland and Ukraine for Euro 2012 matches. Our shape- especially in graphic symbols for night – resembles amber.
In Gdansk there will be three matches of the group stage and one quarter-final
PGE Arena in Gdansk in a nutshell
- Beginning of reconstruction – May 2009
- Opening date – 14.08.2011
- Capacity – 42000 seats
- VIP boxes – 40
- Business seats – 1383
- Parking – 2171 places, coaches – 74 places
- Construction cost – 775 million PLN
How to get to the Stadium
due to construction works trams number 4, 7 and 10 were suspended. It is possible to get there by the tram number 49.
Matches
- Spain – Italy (June 10, hour: 18:00 Polish time).
- Spain – Ireland (June 14, hour: 20:45 Polish time).
- Croatia – Spain (June 18, hour: 18:00 Polish time).
- Quarterfinal: 1B – 2A (June 22, hour: 20:45 Polish time).
Wrocław
Olympic Stadium built in the interwar period is a stadium proposed by Wrocław in the official offer of Poland and Ukraine on Euro 2012.
According to conception of stadium conversion it is expected to reach capacity over 40 thousand seats and is expected to be a part of sports center, with a swimming pool, a sports hall, a shooting range, tennis courts and also shop centres and gastronomic centres.
Below you can see graphic symbols of Olympic Stadium after planned conversion.
Organizers of the European championships make plans for playing some group matches in Warsaw.
But after granted organization of championships to Poland and Ukraine authorities in Wrocław addressed building project of a new stadium for Euro 2012. This stadium would be located in Drzymaly Street in the part of city called Maslice. There are no projects of stadium so far, and possible realization of this conception depends on the possibility of obtaining by the city additional funds (a new stadium is estimated at over 100 mln EUR0).
So an issue concerning the choice of stadiums in Wrocław where the European championships matches would be played stays unnegotiated.
Poznan
Municipal Stadium in Poznan at Bułgarska street was the first Polish facility ready for the Euro 2012. Each of the three group matches of the finals of the Europe championships will be watched by 41 000 spectators.
The construction of the stadium in Poznan started in the ’60s, and the opening ceremony was held in August 1980. Since that time the facility has been modernized. The beginning of last reconstruction was in 2002. When Poland received the right to organize Euro 2012, it was decided to introduce changes. Plans of the changes were developed by Modern Construction Systems company.
The reconstructed facility was completed in September 2010. The stadium, covered with a membrane roof, has already 43 000 seats. However, according to the UEFA requirements, the number of seats will be limited to 41 000 seats. The stadium has also seats for the disabled. Designers have taken into account the ecological criteria such as installation of underground tanks for rainwater, which will be used for spraying the stadium grass.
In September, the selected operator of the stadium is a consortium with the share of KKS Lech Poznan and the Marcelin Management company. The agreement with the city was signed for 20 years.
The first event at the Municipal Stadium in Poznan was the concert by Sting (20 September 2010). League matches and the European League created an amazing atmosphere at the stadium. In general, during the first year of operation of the stadium it was visited by almost million people.
The problem of the stadium was the stadium grass. Since December 2009 it has already been replaced six times. Problems with the grass resulted from the fact that it had no time to take roots because of regular matches between Lech and Warta at the stadium. In addition, the grass was most often put in difficult weather conditions – in late autumn or even in winter.
The problem with stadium grass occurred also in England at ht e most expensive stadium in the world – Wembley.
Objections to the stadium was also raised by UEFA but the problems were solved. While visiting the stadium in Poznan, Michel Platini, president of UEFA, had good opinion about the stadium and the progress of preparations of the city for the Euro 2012.
Municipal Stadium in Poznan in a nutshell
- Beginning of reconstruction – 2002
- End of rconstruction – September 2010
- Capacity – 43 000 seats (For Euro 2012 – over 41 thousand).
- VIP boxes – 45 (480 seats)
- Business seats – 1100
- Parking spaces – 900
- Modernization cost – 746 million PLN
How to get to the Stadium
You can get to the stadium by trams number 1, 6, 13 and 15 and buses number A, 50, 63, 91 and 116
Matches at the stadium
- Ireland – Croatia (June 10, 20.45 Polish time)
- Italy – Croatia (June 14, 18:00 Polish time)
- Italy – Ireland (June 18, 20.45 Polish time)
