Built in 2005, the Allianz Arena in Munich has become one of the pinnacle examples of modern football stadium design and quality. The stadium has stood the test of time over the 17 years it’s been standing, with many flocking to what has become one of Europe’s holy football sites. Here are 7 facts about the Allianz Arena.
Capacity
Seating over 75,000 fans, it is the second largest stadium in Germany. The stadium has been nicknamed “Schlauchboot” which means “inflatable boat”. It was also the home of 1860 Munich until 2017. Bayerns previous stadium, Olympiastadion München, held just below 70,000 attendees.
Changing Colors
Allianz Arena is the first stadium in the world with a full color-changing exterior, which is made of inflated ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) plastic panels. Allianz Arena is lit in different colors when different teams play, according to the home team’s color. In the photo below, it is lit in red when Bayern Munich plays, blue when 1860 Munich used to play and in white when the German national team plays.
Many Memorable Moments
The fastest goal was scored 10 seconds after kick-off by Roy Makaay in the 2007 Champions League game versus Real Madrid at the Arena. Philipp Lahm has notched up the most appearances. He has played in the Arena 205 times.
Many Visitors…
Every year, the Arena welcomes 4 million visitors from all over the world. This is considerably more people than those who visit other German tourist sites such as the Neuschwanstein Castle, and around half the number of people who visit Cologne Cathedral. More than 30 million people have watched a football game here.
And a Lot of Food!
Visitors have knocked back more than 18 million liters of drinks since the stadium opened in 2005. Seeing as we are on the topic of drink, we’d better not forget food: football fans have chowed down 9 million grilled sausages over the past 10 years.
Merch Megastore
The FC Bayern Megastore on the third floor of the Arena is aptly named. It is wall-to-wall fan swag spread over 1000 square meters of heaven for the Bayern supporters who want to show their love for their club in every aspect of their life. From the classic replica shirt with your favorite player’s name on the back to a FC Bayern garden gnome.
Stadium With a Mandate
The Arena was put to a referendum before being built. On 21 October 2002, voters went to the polls to determine whether a new stadium should be built in this location and whether the city of Munich should provide the necessary infrastructure. About two-thirds of the voters decided in favor of the proposition. An alternative to constructing the new arena had been a major reconstruction of the Olympic Stadium but this option had been refused by its architect Günther Behnisch.
