Wikipedia

Atatürk Olympic Stadium

"Atatürk Stadium" redirects here. For other uses, see Atatürk Stadium (disambiguation).

The Atatürk Olympic Stadium (Turkish: Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadyumu, pronounced [aˈtatyɾc]) is a stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Located in the western district of Başakşehir, it is the largest-capacity stadium in the country. The stadium is named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. Its construction began in 1999 and was completed in 2002. It was originally built for Turkey's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games that were ultimately awarded to Beijing, China. It cost about US$140 million.[1]

Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı
UEFA
Map
Full nameAtatürk Olimpiyat Stadyumu
LocationBaşakşehir, Istanbul, Turkey
Coordinates41°04′28″N 28°45′57″E / 41.07444°N 28.76583°E / 41.07444; 28.76583
Public transitIstanbul Metro Line M9 Olimpiyat
OwnerGovernment of Turkey
Executive suites34
Capacity77,563
Capacity history
  • 80,597 (2002–2005)
    76,092 (2005–2019)
    76,761 (2019–2020)
    75,145 (2020–2021)
    74,753 (2021–2022)
    77,563 (2022–)[2]
Record attendance79,414 (Galatasaray–Olympiacos, 31 July 2002)[4]
Field size105 x 68 m
SurfaceGrass
ScoreboardYes
Construction
Broke ground28 November 1997[1]
Built1997–2002
Opened31 July 2002; 22 years ago (2002-07-31)
Renovated2005, 2020
Construction cost$140 million
($237 million in 2023 dollars[3])[1]
ArchitectMichel Macary
Aymeric Zublena
Tenants
Turkey national football team
Galatasaray (2003–2004)
İstanbul Başakşehir (2007–2014)
Kasımpaşa (2007–2008)
Beşiktaş (2013–2016)
Fatih Karagümrük (2020–2023)
Website
www.ataturkolimpiyatstadi.gov.tr

With its 77,563 (all-seater) capacity and Olympic size, it was granted the "5-star sports complex" title by the UEFA in 2004, enabling it to host the finals of UEFA events. The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final between Milan and Liverpool was played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium on 25 May 2005. The stadium is also certified by the IAAF and IOC as a first-class venue for track and field, and has hosted several European athletic competitions. The stadium was originally scheduled to stage its second Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich on 30 May 2020, but following the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe the match was postponed and later rescheduled to August at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal behind closed doors; the stadium was then set to hold the 2021 final between Manchester City and Chelsea instead, but the match was once again moved to Portugal, this time at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto.[5] The stadium hosted the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.[6]

Süper Lig football team Istanbul BB used the venue as their home stadium until they moved to the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium in 2014. Galatasaray played its home games at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium during the 2003–2004 football season because their own venue, the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, was under renovation. Galatasaray eventually returned to Ali Sami Yen for the 2004–2005 season, but played 2006–2007 UEFA Champions League group stage matches at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Sivasspor also played some of its Süper Lig home games at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium due to bad weather conditions in their original hometown stadium. Beşiktaş used the arena in the 2013–14 season to play most of their home games, with the reasoning being the same as Galatasaray's, while their own stadium, the Vodafone Park, was under construction. Since their promotion to the Süper Lig in 2020, Fatih Karagümrük uses the stadium as its home.

Design and construction

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Istanbul Atatürk Olympic Stadium was originally conceived for the city's 2008 Olympic Games bid.

The stadium's two steel roofs (weighing 2,800 t and 1,300 t) were produced by Tekfen's Steel Structure Fabrication Plant in Ceyhan, Adana. The west roof, designed in the form of a crescent and principally composed of a 1,000 t main beam called mega-truss, is supported by two reinforced concrete shafts with 196 m span.

With its 134 entrances and 148 exit gates, the Olympic Stadium allows 80,000 spectators to evacuate within 7.5 minutes, in case of an emergency. Two annex fields (for warm up / training purposes) are connected directly to the Olympic Stadium with a tunnel.

The Olympic Stadium's technical infrastructure and design ensure optimal visibility from all stands; a homogeneous sound level (102 decibels) with modern speaker systems, and a 1,400 lux illumination covering all areas of the stadium.

A 42,200 m2 commercial center is situated under the west roof, with a front facade length of 450 m and a total of 6 floors (3 floors below ground level.)

Renovations and events

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Interior view of the stadium
 
Exterior view of the stadium
UEFA Champions League finals
Season Winners Score Runners-up Attendance
2004–05 Liverpool   3-3   Milan 69,000
2022–23 Manchester City   1-0   Inter Milan 71,412

2005 UEFA Champions League Final

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From 2002 to 2005, the stadium had a capacity of 80,597 (all-seater). This was later reduced to 76,092 (all-seater) by removing the seats from where it was not possible to see the entire pitch, prior to the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, the final match of Europe's primary club football competition in the 2004–05 season. The showpiece event (dubbed "The Miracle of Istanbul") was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy on 25 May 2005.

UEFA Euro 2016 plans

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The stadium was part of the Turkish UEFA Euro 2016 bid. To meet all requirements of UEFA for being able to organise the championship, the authorities planned to take major reconstruction works on this stadium. It was planned to increase the stadium's capacity to over 90,000 spectators and making it to the world's largest stadium with every seat under cover. To increase the net and gross capacity to 81,106 and 94,555[7] respectively, the pitch would have been lowered by 2.15 metres. In order to provide better convenience for the VIP guests and the media, all existing hospitality areas at levels 3 and 4 would have been extended. Furthermore, 12 new boxes were planned to be added to the west stand and 32 to the east stand in order to add to the current number of 36 skyboxes; making a total of 80 skyboxes after the reconstruction.[8]

2023 UEFA Champions League final

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The 2020 UEFA Champions League Final was scheduled to be played at the stadium on 30 May 2020.[9] However the final was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe[10] and later relocated to the Estádio da Luz, Lisbon. It was due to stage the following season's final, however this was relocated by UEFA on 13 May 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.[11] On 16 July 2021, UEFA announced that the stadium is scheduled to host the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.[6] On 10 June 2023, the match was played between English side Manchester City and Italian side Inter Milan. Manchester City won the match 1–0 to claim their first ever UEFA Champions League title. [12][13]

UEFA Euro 2024 plans

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For the UEFA Euro 2024 bid the Turkish Football Federation planned to rebuild the stadium. The stands would be closer to the pitch, making it a football stadium with a new capacity of 92,208[14][15][16] Because of the removal of the athletics track, Turkey plans a new Olympic stadium near to Bosphorus for prospects for a future Summer Olympics.[17] The rebuild was made by Manchester-based British architecture company AFL Architects. Ultimately, the Euro 2024 tournament would be awarded to Germany instead.

UEFA Euro 2032 plans

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For the UEFA Euro 2032 the Turkish Football Federation planned to renovate the stadium. The stands would be closer to the pitch, making it a football stadium with a new capacity of 72,000[18] It is expected to be lowered than its current capacity in time for that year as one of the ten Turkish venues in the Italian-Turkish joint bid. Ultimately, the Euro 2032 tournament would be awarded to Turkey along with Italy.

Concerts

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U2 360° Tour

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On 6 September 2010, the renowned Irish rock band U2 gave a sold-out concert at the stadium with 54,278 fans in attendance, as a part of their U2 360° Tour, the opening act of which was performed by the group Snow Patrol.[19]

 
A panoramic view of Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul

Records

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Attendance Records
Rank Attendance Date Game
1 79,414[4] 31 July 2002 Galatasaray SK – Olympiacos CFP
2 77,512[20] 22 September 2013 Beşiktaş JK – Galatasaray SK
3 71,412[21] 10 June 2023 Manchester City – Inter Milan
4 71,334[22] 21 September 2003 Galatasaray SK – Fenerbahçe SK
5 71,230[23] 12 September 2006 Galatasaray SK – FC Girondins de Bordeaux
6 70,847[24] 03 August 2024 Galatasaray SK – Beşiktaş JK
7 69,000[25][26] 25 May 2005 A.C. Milan – Liverpool F.C.
8 68,515[27] 15 May 2022 Trabzonspor – Altay SK
9 66,300[28] 13 August 2003 Galatasaray SK – PFC CSKA
10 65,110[29] 19 March 2015 Beşiktaş JK – Club Brugge KV

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Tekfen Construction - Istanbul Atatürk Olympic Stadium". Tekfeninsaat.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Stat Arama Detay". Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  3. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b "2006-07 UEFA CL Statistics handbook" (PDF). Kassiesa.net. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  5. ^ "UEFA competitions to resume in August". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Venues appointed for club competition finals". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  7. ^ [1] Archived 24 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine JSK Architects
  8. ^ "Official website for Turkey's Euro 2016 bid: The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul". Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  9. ^ "Istanbul to host 2020 UEFA Champions League Final". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  10. ^ "UEFA competitions to resume in August". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  11. ^ "UEFA Champions League final to move to Portugal to allow 6,000 fans of each team to attend". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 13 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Man City finally bag in Champions League gold after Inter thriller". Daily Sabah. 10 June 2023.
  13. ^ Lewis, Aimee (10 June 2023). "Manchester City wins Champions League for first time, beating Inter Milan 1-0 in tense Istanbul final". CNN. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  14. ^ "GHdesign Ataturk Stadium". Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  15. ^ "picture of the project". Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  16. ^ "UEFA EURO 2024 Turkey Bid Brochure". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Bosphorus Olympic Stadium Plans". 15 October 2019. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Turkey chosen as co-host for football's Euro 2032". Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  19. ^ "U2'dan unutulmaz konser". Sabah (in Turkish). 7 September 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  20. ^ "İşte derbi ile ilgili gerçek rakamlar". haber1903. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  21. ^ "Full Time Report Final – Manchester City v Inter Milan" (PDF)" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. p. 1. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  22. ^ "Galatasary Magazine October 2005". Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  23. ^ "UCL Report Cover 07" (PDF). Uefa.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  24. ^ "Galatasaray - Beşiktaş Süper Kupa Finalinin seyirci sayısı : 70.847" (in Turkish). Tribün Doluluk. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Istanbul 2020 Bid Book" (PDF). Retrieved 11 August 2012.[dead link]
  26. ^ "UEFA Champions League – Statistics Handbook 2012/13" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. p. 141. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  27. ^ "Trabzonspor - Altay match report". arsiv.mackolik.com. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  28. ^ "14.08.2003, Milliyet, Sayfa 27, Spor". Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  29. ^ "Attendance record broken as Dynamo beat Everton - UEFA Europa League - News". UEFA.com. 19 March 2015. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
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Preceded by UEFA Champions League
Final venue
2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by UEFA Champions League
Final venue
2023 		Succeeded by
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