Allianz Stadion, the new home ground of Rapid Wien

Wien - Allianz Stadion 21.07.2016: The new stadium of Rapid Wien was officially opened on Saturday, 16th July 2017, in a grand style. On the occasion, the home team, Rapid Wien, played Chelsea F.C. (2:0), a football giant from England. Fans could enjoy the first league match one week later, when Rapid played SV Ried in the 2016/2017 season opening match. And a few days later, a UEFA Europa League qualifying match was played there.

Why Allianz Stadion? Rapid signed a sponsorship agreement with the insurance company Allianz, which gave Allianz the naming rights. The stadium in Vienna is the third European stadium bearing the name Allianz.

Construction of the stadium: The new stadium of Rapid Wien, called the Allianz Stadion, has been built on the site of the former Gerhard Hanappi Stadium, built in 1977. The latter was demolished in October 2014, and in January 2015 the construction of a brand new arena, with a capacity of 28,600 spectators, began. In their wish to oblige their fans, and, after the fashion of several stadiums in Germany, Rapid offers both the home and the away fans the possibility to buy tickets for standing areas. Consequently, the capacity has to be reduced to 24,000 seats for international matches.

Photo: Linie29 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Cost of construction: The original budget was 47.5 million EUR, and it included the cost of demolition of the old Gerhard Hanappi Stadium. Compared to the old stadium, the new one is rotated 90 degrees. So, due to building regulations and various registration fees, the cost went up to 53 million EUR.