Welcome to the Mercedes-Benz-Arena
By: Anna | May 9th, 2008Today the district council of Stuttgart agreed on the modification plans for the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion to a “multifunctional football stadium.” With the last hurdle on the way to the Mercedes-Benz-Arena cleared, it’s time to take a look at the plans.
When finished, the whole thing is probably going to look like this:
The most important part is probably that the running track around the pitch will be removed. This means the end to a long tradition of athletic contests in the stadium, the last will be 3rd athletic world finals on 13th and 14th September 2008.
The pitch will be lowered, the curves are going to be carried away and rebuilt as terraces right behind the goal. The finished stadium, sorry, arena is planned to have a capacity of 55.000 places, which isn’t really an improvement since the current numbers go up to 55.896 (or 53.198 during national team matches, when only the seats are used).
They are also going to integrate a sports hall where the Untertürkheimer Kurve currently is.
I hope you understand that I’m not going to bother with summing up the financing since it sounds quite complicated. The city of Stuttgart, which still owns the building, is going to contribute a huge part, as well as the Daimler AG, which is now becoming official name sponsor. The name Gottlieb Daimler is of course connected to the company as well, but it was always treated as some sort of “unofficial sponsoring.”
The only problem that remains is the mineral springs under the stadium, which need to be protected under any circumstances. Should it turn out that the lowering of the pitch is not possible as planned, the costs might explode.
The renaming will happen within the scope of a friendly against Arsenal London on 30. July of this year (for which I am hoping to get tickets, by the way), the actual building operations are planned to last from May 2009 to July 2011.
A few thoughts:
- The name itself isn’t that much of a problem: Most fans had accepted the old name and it’s not such a huge step from Gottlieb Daimler to Mercedes-Benz, but why do all clubs seem to need an arena these days? Or, to say it with the words of the Commando Cannstatt, “football, not bull fights - stadium, not arena!”
- Another point of concern from the fans is the rumours about planned VIP boxes in the terraces that are going to replace the Cannstatter Kurve, home to the Stuttgart ultras.
- In general I guess it’s a (necessary) development into the right direction. Without the running track the audience is going to be a lot closer to the pitch which should have positive effects on the atmosphere.
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Comments | Add your comment
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“55.000 places, which isn’t really an improvement”
I read an interview, where some VfB guy said, that they were in talks with the fan clubs to decide how big the standing area will be. So I assume 55000 is the all-seater configuration, which is about the same size as Schalke’s
stadiumarena. So maybe Stuttgart’s new stadium will then have a Bundesliga capacity of close to 60000 as well.Posted from
United States
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That’s likely, of course. I just was a little confused since I remembered that plans were also to create space for more people. *shrugs*
For now I’ll worry about the time during the construction works, where there won’t be more than 39000 places. Should be difficult to get tickets for that time…Posted from
Germany -
New field, new start
Posted from
United States -
“New field, new start”
Oh yes, I hope so! To make a beginning they had the lawn replaced two weeks ago and apparently that’s what made the match against Frankfurt so much fun to play (and to watch!).Posted from
Germany -
Actually I’m more or less used to Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion but Mercedes-Benz-Arena…I think I may need some time to get used to.
Back then when I first knew of the change of the stadium’s name, I was like ‘Now we are going to be the same like Bayern’. They have the Allianz Arena, we are going to have the Mercedes-Benz-Arena.
New field, new start…Parker, let’s hope it’s true. And Anna, all the best in getting the tickets for the friendly against Arsenal.
Posted from
Singapore -
From France,
What strikes me again is that these huges stadiums are mainly built with public funds ie taxes paid by the people of Stuttgart. Will the inhabitants of Stuttgart vote to subsidize the workplace of the football players or is the deal already signed ?
according to this text, the shareholders of the local football club are not even mentionned or requested to pay a part of the cost of the building. Are they ?Posted from
United States -
Well, here’s how the new stadium will be financed (simplified)
- Stuttgart (the city) own the stadium and rent it to VfB Stuttgart.
- VfB Stuttgart want a dedicated football stadium and have been campaigning for it and against the local track and field community for a while.
- Stuttgart decided to go with VfB Stuttgart’s idea and after all VfB Stuttgart is responsible for over 90% of the revenue this stadium generates anyway.
- First Stuttgart wanted to sell the stadium to VfB Stuttgart. But the EU blocked this move or better they demanded that the stadium will be sold at a much higher price than originally planned. So they canned this idea.
- Instead Stuttgart keep the stadium, rebuild it and also take on the necessary credit.
- VfB Stuttgart meanwhile will pay the yearly maintenance cost and a new higher rent estimated at around AFAIR €8m. The yearly rent will refinance the debt Stuttgart took on. So the city or tax payers don’t subsidize the stadium. VfB Stuttgart meanwhile hope that the new stadium will generate enough extra revenue, that they can pay the rent and will still have €9-10m a year extra for the team.
- One big advantage for VfB Stuttgart in this scenario though is that the risk lies with the city should VfB Stuttgart get relegated and thus no longer be able to pay the rent.Other clubs/cities have similar agreements. E.g. Eintracht Frankfurt and the city of Frankfurt. Or Hertha Berlin and Berlin. Though, a lot of huge stadiums are also completely owned by the clubs e.g. Schalke, Dortmund, Hamburg, Bayern, Gladbach etc.
Posted from
United States -
Wow, Jan, that’s better than I could have ever summed it up. I tried but I just never had the nerve for financial things, so thank you very much
Posted from
Germany
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