General
- Friday September 12th, 2008 @ 17:16
PATS FANS TO VISIT HISTORIC OLYMPIC STADIUM
Fans travelling to Germany for the upcoming UEFA Cup game will be visiting the home of Hertha Berlin a stadium which has a rich footballing history.
It hosts the German Cup final on a yearly basis,the most recent between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund saw Bayern Munich win by two goals to one.
Originally designed by Werner March, it was built between 1934 and 1936, opening in 1936.
It survived bombing during World War II, and English invasion, and was designated as the home ground of the Blue-Whites in 1963.
On July 31st 2004 the stadium was re-opened, after four long years of renovation.
FIFA had awarded it a five star rating and selected it as one of the venues for the 2006 World Cup.
The stadium, once completed, had upgraded its capacity to 74,228. It has 113 VIP stands, several restaurants, and two underground parking lots.
The ceiling covers a total of 37,000 square metres. It is supported by twenty columns holding in excess of 3,500 tons of steel, and over 2000 tons of glass.
The renovation was estimated to have cost in the area of €242million. €26million of that was spent on the roof.
Two years after its completion, the World Cup began.
A total of six games were played in the Olympiastadion, including the final itself. Each match attracted in the region of 72,000 spectators.
