LTU Arena
Encyclopedia
Esprit Arena is a multi-functional football stadium
in Düsseldorf
, Germany
. The stadium holds 54,600 and has a closable roof. The special heating system allows comfortable events at the height of winter.
at the same site near the river Rhine. The structure's initial capacity of 51,500 was expanded in summer 2010 when seating areas were converted into standing terraces. It hosts association football team Fortuna Düsseldorf
(currently in the second division - 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
).
The stadium regularly hosted both first-round matches of the German League Cup
every July between 2005 and 2007.
The first round of the 2005 German League Cup was held in the Arena on 23 July 2005. In the first match of the day, Werder Bremen
recorded a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, with Ivan Klasnić
scoring the only goal after 18 minutes of the game had passed. The second match of the day was contested between Hertha BSC and Stuttgart
, with Stuttgart winning 4-3 in penalty shootout after a goalless 90 minutes.
The second time the first round of the German League Cup was held in the Arena was on 29 July 2006, with Hamburger SV
playing Hertha BSC in the first match of the day and Schalke 04
playing Bayer Leverkusen in the second match of the day. Hamburg won their match against Hertha 1-0, with the only goal scored by Vincent Kompany
in the 52nd minute. In the second match of the day, Schalke beat Leverkusen 9-8 in a lengthy penalty shootout that followed as a result of a 1-1 draw in the 90 minutes of normal time. Schalke's Darío Rodríguez
fired Leverkusen into a 1-0 lead with his own goal
just before the half-hour mark, with Marcelo Bordon
equalising for Schalke shortly thereafter.
The first round of the 2007 German League Cup took place in the Arena on 21 July 2007. The first match of the day featured Schalke and Karlsruher SC
, who won the 2nd Bundesliga
for the 2006-07 season. It was the first time the champions of the 2nd Bundesliga took part in the competition. In the match, Tamás Hajnal
missed an early penalty
for Karlsruhe and Schalke eventually won 1-0, with Halil Altintop
scoring the only goal in the 35th minute. The second match of the day featured Bundesliga title contenders Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich
. Tim Borowski
fired Bremen into an early 1-0 lead, but Bayern eventually came back to win the match 4-1, with first-half goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger
, Hamit Altintop
and Franck Ribéry
followed by another Ribéry goal from a penalty early in the second half.
, the Arena temporarily served as the home ground of Bayer Leverkusen
, due to redevelopment of their regular home ground, the BayArena
. Leverkusen hosted a total of 11 competitive games in the Arena, 8 in the Bundesliga and 3 in the German Cup
.
in Germany, but it hosted several international matches since it opened.
The first international match in the Arena was an international friendly between Germany
and Argentina
on 9 February 2005, ending in a 2-2 draw. On 7 February 2007, Germany played their second international friendly in the Arena, beating Switzerland
3-1. In their third international friendly in the Arena, on 11 February 2009, Germany suffered a 1-0 defeat to Norway
.
The Arena also hosted two international friendlies of the Portuguese national football team
. In Portugal's first international friendly in the Arena, on 1 March 2006, they recorded a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia
. On 26 March 2008, Portugal played their second international friendly in the Arena, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Greece national football team
.
of NFL Europe
, an American football
league. They were tenants half a year after it reopened to the end of the 2007 season. Espirit Arena is also due to host the Race of Champions 2010
, of which home drivers Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher have already signed up for.
Esprit Arena is the host stadium for the boxing bout between Wladimir Klitschko and Jean Marc Moreck set to take place on the 10th December 2011. The stadium also hosted the boxing bout between Wladimir Klitschko vs Eddie Chambers on the 20th of March 2010; Klitschko won the bout by 12th round KO.
event Sensation was held with an attendance of over 15,000.
Depeche Mode
performed at the stadium in 2006 and 2010. The two 2010 shows were recorded for the live albums project, Recording the Universe
.
The arena has played host to music festivals, including Projekt Revolution
.
Esprit Arena hosted the 56th Eurovision Song Contest in 2011
.
Madonna
played two concerts in 2006 and 2008 during her Confessions Tour
and Sticky & Sweet Tour
in Düsseldorf´s Esprit Arena.
.
Prior to July 2009, the German airline LTU
held the naming rights.
Düsseldorf's mayor Dirk Elbers
stated that, due to treaty obligations, the arena would lose its sponsor name and be renamed Düsseldorf Arena for the period of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
which was held there in May 2011.
(VRR).
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The stadium holds 54,600 and has a closable roof. The special heating system allows comfortable events at the height of winter.
History
It was built from 2002 to 2004 to replace the former RheinstadionRheinstadion
The Rheinstadion was a multi-purpose stadium, in Düsseldorf, Germany. The stadium was built, near the Rhine, in 1926 and held 55,900 people, at the end of its life....
at the same site near the river Rhine. The structure's initial capacity of 51,500 was expanded in summer 2010 when seating areas were converted into standing terraces. It hosts association football team Fortuna Düsseldorf
Fortuna Düsseldorf
' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga...
(currently in the second division - 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
).
German League Cup
DFB-Ligapokal
The DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
every July between 2005 and 2007.
The first round of the 2005 German League Cup was held in the Arena on 23 July 2005. In the first match of the day, Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
recorded a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, with Ivan Klasnić
Ivan Klasnic
Ivan Klasnić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers of the Premier League. He is a Croatian international. In 2007, Klasnić underwent a kidney transplant, and became the first player to participate in a major tournament after a transplant.-St. Pauli:Klasnić started his...
scoring the only goal after 18 minutes of the game had passed. The second match of the day was contested between Hertha BSC and Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
, with Stuttgart winning 4-3 in penalty shootout after a goalless 90 minutes.
The second time the first round of the German League Cup was held in the Arena was on 29 July 2006, with Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
playing Hertha BSC in the first match of the day and Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
playing Bayer Leverkusen in the second match of the day. Hamburg won their match against Hertha 1-0, with the only goal scored by Vincent Kompany
Vincent Kompany
Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany is a Belgian footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Belgium national team. He is capable of playing at both centre back and defensive midfielder. Kompany is of partial Congolese ancestry...
in the 52nd minute. In the second match of the day, Schalke beat Leverkusen 9-8 in a lengthy penalty shootout that followed as a result of a 1-1 draw in the 90 minutes of normal time. Schalke's Darío Rodríguez
Darío Rodríguez
Octavio Darío Rodríguez Peña is an Uruguayan footballer who currently plays as a Left back for Peñarol. He was capped 51 times for the Uruguay national team.-Club career:...
fired Leverkusen into a 1-0 lead with his own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
just before the half-hour mark, with Marcelo Bordon
Marcelo Bordon
Marcelo José Bordon is a former Brazilian footballer. He lastly played centre back for Al Rayyan Sports Club in the Qatar Stars League but he was mostly known in Germany, playing in Bundesliga teams VfB Stuttgart and Schalke 04.-Career:Between 2004 and July 2010 he played for Bundesliga side...
equalising for Schalke shortly thereafter.
The first round of the 2007 German League Cup took place in the Arena on 21 July 2007. The first match of the day featured Schalke and Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
, who won the 2nd Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
for the 2006-07 season. It was the first time the champions of the 2nd Bundesliga took part in the competition. In the match, Tamás Hajnal
Tamás Hajnal
Tamás Hajnal is a Hungarian football midfielder currently playing for German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.-Ferencvárosi TC and Dunakanyar Vác FC :...
missed an early penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
for Karlsruhe and Schalke eventually won 1-0, with Halil Altintop
Halil Altintop
Halil Altıntop is a German-born Turkish national footballer. He currently plays for Trabzonspor. He is the identical twin brother of Hamit Altıntop who plays for Real Madrid.-Career:...
scoring the only goal in the 35th minute. The second match of the day featured Bundesliga title contenders Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. Tim Borowski
Tim Borowski
Tim Borowski is a German footballer, who currently plays as a midfielder for Werder Bremen. He is a central midfielder, adept at tackling and attacking although best known for his passing and vision.-Early career:...
fired Bremen into an early 1-0 lead, but Bayern eventually came back to win the match 4-1, with first-half goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role....
, Hamit Altintop
Hamit Altintop
Hamit Altıntop is a German-born Turkish professional footballer who plays for Real Madrid in La Liga. He is a versatile midfielder who can play either in a defending or attacking role and on both flanks. He is well known for his flair of long-shot ability, as shown when he played for Schalke 04...
and Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
followed by another Ribéry goal from a penalty early in the second half.
Bayer Leverkusen
During the second half of the 2008-09 Bundesliga seasonFußball-Bundesliga 2008-09
Notes# TSG 1899 Hoffenheim played their 2008 home games at Carl-Benz-Stadion in Mannheim because their Rhein-Neckar-Arena had not yet been completed....
, the Arena temporarily served as the home ground of Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
, due to redevelopment of their regular home ground, the BayArena
BayArena
The BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.-History:...
. Leverkusen hosted a total of 11 competitive games in the Arena, 8 in the Bundesliga and 3 in the German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
.
International matches
The Arena was not one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany, but it hosted several international matches since it opened.
The first international match in the Arena was an international friendly between Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
on 9 February 2005, ending in a 2-2 draw. On 7 February 2007, Germany played their second international friendly in the Arena, beating Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
3-1. In their third international friendly in the Arena, on 11 February 2009, Germany suffered a 1-0 defeat to Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
.
The Arena also hosted two international friendlies of the Portuguese national football team
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
. In Portugal's first international friendly in the Arena, on 1 March 2006, they recorded a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
. On 26 March 2008, Portugal played their second international friendly in the Arena, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Greece national football team
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
.
Other sporting events
The stadium was the former home of the Rhein FireRhein Fire
The Rhein Fire was a professional American football team in NFL Europe, formerly the World League of American Football. Established in Germany in 1995, the franchise resurrected the name of the former Birmingham Fire team which was active during the 1991-1992 WLAF seasons.-History:The team was...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
league. They were tenants half a year after it reopened to the end of the 2007 season. Espirit Arena is also due to host the Race of Champions 2010
2010 Race of Champions
The 2010 Race of Champions was the 23rd running of the event, and took place over 27–28 November 2010 at the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany...
, of which home drivers Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher have already signed up for.
Esprit Arena is the host stadium for the boxing bout between Wladimir Klitschko and Jean Marc Moreck set to take place on the 10th December 2011. The stadium also hosted the boxing bout between Wladimir Klitschko vs Eddie Chambers on the 20th of March 2010; Klitschko won the bout by 12th round KO.
Music events
On New Year's Eve 2008, the dance musicDance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
event Sensation was held with an attendance of over 15,000.
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
performed at the stadium in 2006 and 2010. The two 2010 shows were recorded for the live albums project, Recording the Universe
Recording the Universe
Recording the Universe is the name of a project by the band Depeche Mode to record some of the concerts on their 2009-10 concert tour, Tour of the Universe...
.
The arena has played host to music festivals, including Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution is a music festival hosted by Linkin Park, bringing artists of various genres of music together. Linkin Park started Projekt Revolution in the year 2002 with just one stage...
.
Esprit Arena hosted the 56th Eurovision Song Contest in 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
.
Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
played two concerts in 2006 and 2008 during her Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It supported her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Madonna confirmed the possibility of going out on a tour as early as November 2005. Jamie King, Madonna's longtime collaborator, was then hired on...
and Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
in Düsseldorf´s Esprit Arena.
Naming rights
The naming rights to the stadium are currently held by clothing manufacturer EspritEsprit Holdings
Esprit Holdings Limited is a publicly owned manufacturer of apparel, footwear, accessories, jewellery and housewares under the Esprit label. The company is headquartered in Kowloon, Hong Kong, and Ratingen , Germany. In the 2007–2008 business year, Esprit Holdings Limited generated a worldwide...
.
Prior to July 2009, the German airline LTU
LTU International
LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services...
held the naming rights.
Düsseldorf's mayor Dirk Elbers
Dirk Elbers
Dirk Elbers German politician, representative of the German Christian Democratic Union.After the death of former Lord Mayor, Joachim Erwin, who died in office, on 2 June 2008 Elbers was a candidate for the CDU to become mayor. The election took place on 31 August 2008...
stated that, due to treaty obligations, the arena would lose its sponsor name and be renamed Düsseldorf Arena for the period of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
which was held there in May 2011.
Public transport
Esprit Arena/Messe Nord is a terminus station of the Düsseldorf urban rail line 78, part of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-RuhrVerkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr
The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr is the public transport association covering the area of the Rhine-Ruhr megalopolis in Germany...
(VRR).