Kleanthis Vikelides Stadium
Encyclopedia
Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium or Harilaou Ground (Γήπεδο Χαριλάου) is a football stadium
in Thessaloniki
, Greece
. It was built in 1951 as the home stadium of Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
, one of the most popular football clubs in Greece
. For many years, the ground's official name was Aris Stadium, until it was renamed in honor of Kleanthis Vikelidis
, a legendary player of Aris FC in the 1930s. However, most commonly it is also referred to as "Harilaou Stadium", after the district in which it is built at. The stadium's capacity was 23,200, although it got limited to 22,800 after the renovations for the 2004 Summer Olympics
; were it served as a training ground for the Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
. Its facilities include dressing rooms, a gym, a swimming pool, VIP boxes, a VIP lounge, a restaurant with pitch view and press rooms.
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It was built in 1951 as the home stadium of Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
, one of the most popular football clubs in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. For many years, the ground's official name was Aris Stadium, until it was renamed in honor of Kleanthis Vikelidis
Kleanthis Vikelidis
Kleanthis Vikelides was a star footballer for Aris Thessaloniki in the 1930s and 1940s.Vikelides was born in 1916 in Thessaloniki and was the youngest of the three Vikelides brothers that played for Aris...
, a legendary player of Aris FC in the 1930s. However, most commonly it is also referred to as "Harilaou Stadium", after the district in which it is built at. The stadium's capacity was 23,200, although it got limited to 22,800 after the renovations for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
; were it served as a training ground for the Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
. Its facilities include dressing rooms, a gym, a swimming pool, VIP boxes, a VIP lounge, a restaurant with pitch view and press rooms.