Swedbank Stadion
Encyclopedia
Swedbank Stadion, often known simply as Stadion, is a football stadium
in Malmö
, Sweden
and the home of Allsvenskan
club Malmö FF
. In UEFA competitions the stadium is known as Malmö New Stadium due to sponsorship reasons. The stadium has a league capacity of 24,000 (of which 18,000 are seated and 6,000 standing) or 21,000 as an all-seater in international matches, making it the second largest football club stadium in Sweden behind AIK
's Råsunda. The stadium was opened in 2009 and replaced Malmö FF's former stadium Malmö Stadion
. The stadium cost 695 million SEK
to build. Swedbank Stadion is a UEFA category 4 rated stadium.
planned for a new stadium solution and move from their current stadium Malmö Stadion
which was built in 1958 and was now starting to deteriorate, the stadium was also too large for the club at the time when attendance in Allsvenskan
dropped every year. In 1995 a project group was created by club chairman Bengt Madsen
to raise money to renovate Malmö IP
into a modern football stadium. The club had played at Malmö IP between 1910 and 1957 and since the stadium was smaller it would be a better solution for the club. The renovation of Malmö IP was finished in August 1999 and Malmö FF played their home matches at the stadium until the 2001 season when the club moved back to Malmö Stadion due to several reasons, the renovation failed to live up to its expectations and the small capacity of 7,600 proved to be a security issue.
Plans to build a new stadium in Malmö
started to arise in 2001, but it wasn't until Malmö FF's 2004 win in Allsvenskan that a new stadium was fully considered. The board of Malmö Municipality
took the decision to look into the possibilities of either renovating Malmö Stadion or building a new stadium in the same area on 25 April 2005. On 29 April five different scenarios were laid out by the City of Malmö, the first alternative was building an entirely new stadium only for football south of Malmö Stadion, the second alternative was to demolish Malmö Stadion and build a new stadium for football and athletics, the third, fourth and fifth alternatives were all suggestions to build two stadiums, one for football and one for athletics, in various locations in the same area. On 3 December the same year the municipality took the decision to chose the alternative to build an entirely new stadium south of Malmö Stadion only for football with a capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 on a 399 million SEK
budget and to renovate Malmö Stadion to an all athletics stadium for 50 million SEK.
Construction of the new stadium commenced on 23 April 2007 with Malmö FF chairman Bengt Madsen, Malmö Municipality chairman Ilmar Reepalu, Roy Andersson
, Patrik Andersson and Daniel Andersson turning the first sod. The budget for the construction was heavily exceeded when the main constructor for the project Peab announced that the stadium would cost 695 million SEK instead of the original 399 million, this was due to miscalculations in the budget but also the addition of several facilities that were not be a part of the stadium at first. On July 12, 2007, Malmö FF announced that they had sold the naming rights for the stadium to Swedish bank Swedbank
for a ten year period. Other companies that have acquired naming rights to stands inside the stadium are construction company Peab, Danish brewing company Carlsberg (which is currently marketing its beer brand Falcon
), newspaper Sydsvenska Dagbladet, and the German energy corporation E.ON
. The construction of the stadium was finished in the fall of 2009, However, the inauguration game was played several months before, on the 13th of April 2009 against Örgryte IS
. Malmö FF won the game 3–0, and the first goal was scored by midfielder Labinot Harbuzi
. By this time, all the facilities related to football were finished, but the office space and some exterior work was yet to be completed. Swedbank Stadion was designed by FOJAB Arkitekter in collaboration with Berg Arkitektkontor who has also designed the new Swedish national stadium Swedbank Arena in Solna
. The building is 27 meters tall, 150 meters wide and 215 meters in length.
. The lower tier has 10,000 seats, the upper tier has 8,000 seats while the Falcon stand has a capacity of 6,000 standing supporters which can be transformed into an all-seated section with a capacity of 3,000 for international matches.
The Falcon stand is the home of the club's most loyal supporters and the stand with the most season cardholders. The stand is a one tier terracing section with bars placed in various places over the stand for security and comfort. There is a capacity of 100 for people in wheelchairs and as well as the same number for their companions. The stand also houses conference facilities with views of the pitch as well as the 2,000 capacity "Restaurang 1910" in the inside area up behind the terracing area of the stand and a health club
run by Friskis & Svettis
, Malmö FF's official souvenir shop and a sports bar with a capacity of 250 guests run by O'Learys on the outside face of the stand. The PEAB and Sydsvenskan stands houses 54 VIP boxes
which is more than any other football stadium in Sweden
, and the highest number overall second to the multi-purpose
indoor arena Malmö Arena which has 72 boxes. The two stands also has 2,000 club seats
along the upper tier. These seats offer a higher level of comfort than the regular seats, the holder of the seats are also offered half time meals and snacks in "Restaurang 1910". The Sydsvenskan stand includes seating for the press as well as a large press room on the inside area of the stand as well as the president's box with a capacity for 60 people. The lower tier of the Eon stand is reserved for away supporters with the majority of the stand consisting of seating but the western part of the stand consisting of terracing for domestic league games. The area reserved for away supporters varies from game to game depending on the amount of away attendance expected.
There are a total of 24 vending stands in the corridor area behind the stands with a selection of different snacks and light meals and beverages. Other facilities include exhibition space, 330 toilets for men, 120 toilets for women as well as six toilets for the disabled.
, along with three group stage games. After the Under-21 Championships, the all-seater away section was refitted to terracing for away-supporters. The stadium also hosted its first national team game on 7 September 2010, when Sweden
faced off against San Marino
in a qualifier for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship
, which Sweden won 6-0. The stadium is scheduled to host Supercupen
for the 2011 season after Malmö FF became Swedish champions in the previous season.
The stadium hosted its first concert
on 16 April 2011 when Swedish ska
group Hoffmaestro & Chraa
performed.
with 2–0 in Allsvenskan
before 24,148 in attendance in the last game of the season to win the league that year. The record for the stadium as an all-seater was recorded when Sweden
beat San Marino
with 6–0 in a Euro 2012 qualifying game on 7 September 2010 in front of a crowd of 21,083. The inaugural attendance for Swedbank Stadion was 23,347, in a 3–0 Allsvenskan victory against Örgryte IS
on 13 April 2009. The average attendance for Malmö FF's games in the 2010 season was 15,194, the best attendance in Allsvenskan 2010 and the best attendance in the history of the stadium as of 2011.
also operate dedicated match-day buses branded as line 84, from different areas of Malmö
. Due to the central location of the stadium in Malmö, parking space is limited and spectators are advised to use public transportation at larger games.
The stadium is also located close to the underground railway station Triangeln
, which opened in December 2010 as a part of Citytunneln. The station is served by Pågatåg
and Öresund Trains
, and is reachable non-stop from many parts of the Öresund Region
.
The closest parking location to Swedbank Stadion is "P-huset Stadion" a parking garage with 440 parking spaces built for stadium and opened in September 2009. The garage is located just 100 metres from the stadium just beside the clubs training grounds. There are also various other parking spaces spread out in the vicinity.
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 Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and the home of Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
club Malmö FF
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
. In UEFA competitions the stadium is known as Malmö New Stadium due to sponsorship reasons. The stadium has a league capacity of 24,000 (of which 18,000 are seated and 6,000 standing) or 21,000 as an all-seater in international matches, making it the second largest football club stadium in Sweden behind AIK
AIK Fotboll
AIK, , an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben, , when needed internationally AIK Stockholm, is a Swedish football club based at Råsunda stadium in Solna, a municipality in Stockholm County bordering to Stockholm City Centre...
's Råsunda. The stadium was opened in 2009 and replaced Malmö FF's former stadium Malmö Stadion
Malmö Stadion
Malmö Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Malmö, Sweden which is currently the home of Swedish football Division 4 club IFK Malmö and athletics club MAI...
. The stadium cost 695 million SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
to build. Swedbank Stadion is a UEFA category 4 rated stadium.
History
In the end of the 1990s the board of Malmö FFMalmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
planned for a new stadium solution and move from their current stadium Malmö Stadion
Malmö Stadion
Malmö Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Malmö, Sweden which is currently the home of Swedish football Division 4 club IFK Malmö and athletics club MAI...
which was built in 1958 and was now starting to deteriorate, the stadium was also too large for the club at the time when attendance in Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
dropped every year. In 1995 a project group was created by club chairman Bengt Madsen
Bengt Madsen
Bengt Madsen born 1942 in Malmö, Sweden, is a Swedish former fotball chairman for the Swedish club Malmö FF, a post he held between 1999 and 2009....
to raise money to renovate Malmö IP
Malmö IP
Malmö IP is a football stadium in Malmö, Sweden. It is the former home stadium of both Malmö FF and IFK Malmö and the current home stadium for ladies team LdB FC Malmö. It was built in 1896. The present day capacity is 7.600. Extensive restoration was carried out and finished in 1999...
into a modern football stadium. The club had played at Malmö IP between 1910 and 1957 and since the stadium was smaller it would be a better solution for the club. The renovation of Malmö IP was finished in August 1999 and Malmö FF played their home matches at the stadium until the 2001 season when the club moved back to Malmö Stadion due to several reasons, the renovation failed to live up to its expectations and the small capacity of 7,600 proved to be a security issue.
Plans to build a new stadium in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
started to arise in 2001, but it wasn't until Malmö FF's 2004 win in Allsvenskan that a new stadium was fully considered. The board of Malmö Municipality
Malmö Municipality
Malmö Municipality is a municipality in Skåne County in Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Malmö.When the first Swedish local government acts were implemented in 1863 the old City of Malmö was made one of the country's 88 city municipalities and the first city council was elected...
took the decision to look into the possibilities of either renovating Malmö Stadion or building a new stadium in the same area on 25 April 2005. On 29 April five different scenarios were laid out by the City of Malmö, the first alternative was building an entirely new stadium only for football south of Malmö Stadion, the second alternative was to demolish Malmö Stadion and build a new stadium for football and athletics, the third, fourth and fifth alternatives were all suggestions to build two stadiums, one for football and one for athletics, in various locations in the same area. On 3 December the same year the municipality took the decision to chose the alternative to build an entirely new stadium south of Malmö Stadion only for football with a capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 on a 399 million SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
budget and to renovate Malmö Stadion to an all athletics stadium for 50 million SEK.
Construction of the new stadium commenced on 23 April 2007 with Malmö FF chairman Bengt Madsen, Malmö Municipality chairman Ilmar Reepalu, Roy Andersson
Roy Andersson (footballer)
Roy Andersson is a former footballer from Sweden. He got a number of caps for the national team, and played three matches at the 1978 FIFA World Cup....
, Patrik Andersson and Daniel Andersson turning the first sod. The budget for the construction was heavily exceeded when the main constructor for the project Peab announced that the stadium would cost 695 million SEK instead of the original 399 million, this was due to miscalculations in the budget but also the addition of several facilities that were not be a part of the stadium at first. On July 12, 2007, Malmö FF announced that they had sold the naming rights for the stadium to Swedish bank Swedbank
Swedbank
Swedbank AB is a leading Nordic-Baltic banking group with 9.5 million retail customers and 534,000 corporate customers in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In Sweden, the group has 377 branches. In the Baltic countries, it has another 224 branches...
for a ten year period. Other companies that have acquired naming rights to stands inside the stadium are construction company Peab, Danish brewing company Carlsberg (which is currently marketing its beer brand Falcon
Bryggeri AB Falken
Bryggeri AB Falken was a brewery in Falkenberg, Sweden. After being bought by Carlsberg it is now just a brand name....
), newspaper Sydsvenska Dagbladet, and the German energy corporation E.ON
E.ON
E.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
. The construction of the stadium was finished in the fall of 2009, However, the inauguration game was played several months before, on the 13th of April 2009 against Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS, also commonly referred to as ÖIS, is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg.-History:The club was founded on 4 December 1887 and participated in the first football match in Sweden on 22 May 1892. Örgryte IS has won 12 national championship titles and one national cup title. After...
. Malmö FF won the game 3–0, and the first goal was scored by midfielder Labinot Harbuzi
Labinot Harbuzi
Labinot Harbuzi is a Swedish footballer of Kosovar-Albanian descent who currently plays for Gençlerbirliği.-Early life:Harbuzi migrated to Sweden with his family because of the Kosovo war...
. By this time, all the facilities related to football were finished, but the office space and some exterior work was yet to be completed. Swedbank Stadion was designed by FOJAB Arkitekter in collaboration with Berg Arkitektkontor who has also designed the new Swedish national stadium Swedbank Arena in Solna
Solna Municipality
Solna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, located just north of the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the 'city' of Solna....
. The building is 27 meters tall, 150 meters wide and 215 meters in length.
Structure and facilities
Swedbank Stadion has a capacity of 24,000 and comprises four stands; the Sydsvenskan stand, PEAB stand and Eon stand with two tiers, and the Falcon stand with terracingTerrace (stadium)
A terrace or terracing in sporting terms refers to the traditional standing area of a sports stadium, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
. The lower tier has 10,000 seats, the upper tier has 8,000 seats while the Falcon stand has a capacity of 6,000 standing supporters which can be transformed into an all-seated section with a capacity of 3,000 for international matches.
The Falcon stand is the home of the club's most loyal supporters and the stand with the most season cardholders. The stand is a one tier terracing section with bars placed in various places over the stand for security and comfort. There is a capacity of 100 for people in wheelchairs and as well as the same number for their companions. The stand also houses conference facilities with views of the pitch as well as the 2,000 capacity "Restaurang 1910" in the inside area up behind the terracing area of the stand and a health club
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
run by Friskis & Svettis
Friskis & Svettis
Friskis & Svettis is a non-profit organization of Swedish origin aiming at providing various forms of exercise. A unique feature of Friskis & Svettis is that all work in the organization is based on volunteers. Friskis & Svettis is today one of Sweden's largest organizations...
, Malmö FF's official souvenir shop and a sports bar with a capacity of 250 guests run by O'Learys on the outside face of the stand. The PEAB and Sydsvenskan stands houses 54 VIP boxes
Luxury box
A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting and entertainment venues. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, usually providing the best views of the event...
which is more than any other football stadium in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and the highest number overall second to the multi-purpose
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
indoor arena Malmö Arena which has 72 boxes. The two stands also has 2,000 club seats
Club seating
Club Level Seating is a special section of seating in modern sports stadiums.The Club Level is usually located towards the middle of the stage of seating sections, above the lower deck but below the upper deck. They are usually right next to the Luxury Boxes, either right above, right below, or...
along the upper tier. These seats offer a higher level of comfort than the regular seats, the holder of the seats are also offered half time meals and snacks in "Restaurang 1910". The Sydsvenskan stand includes seating for the press as well as a large press room on the inside area of the stand as well as the president's box with a capacity for 60 people. The lower tier of the Eon stand is reserved for away supporters with the majority of the stand consisting of seating but the western part of the stand consisting of terracing for domestic league games. The area reserved for away supporters varies from game to game depending on the amount of away attendance expected.
There are a total of 24 vending stands in the corridor area behind the stands with a selection of different snacks and light meals and beverages. Other facilities include exhibition space, 330 toilets for men, 120 toilets for women as well as six toilets for the disabled.
Other uses
Swedbank Stadion hosted the finals of the 2009 UEFA Under-21 Championships2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to...
, along with three group stage games. After the Under-21 Championships, the all-seater away section was refitted to terracing for away-supporters. The stadium also hosted its first national team game on 7 September 2010, when Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
faced off against San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
in a qualifier for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group E
This page shows the standings and results for Group E of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.-Standings:*Note: Sweden qualified directly for the finals as the best runners-up.- Results and fixtures :...
, which Sweden won 6-0. The stadium is scheduled to host Supercupen
2011 Supercupen
-External links:...
for the 2011 season after Malmö FF became Swedish champions in the previous season.
The stadium hosted its first concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
on 16 April 2011 when Swedish ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
group Hoffmaestro & Chraa
Hoffmaestro & Chraa
Hoffmaestro & Chraa is a Swedish ska, electronic and alternative pop band. Their music is a mix of Ska with reggae, Techno, New Orleans-funk and Country....
performed.
Records
The current stadium attendance record was set on 7 November 2010, when Malmö FF beat Mjällby AIFMjällby AIF
Mjällby AIF is a Swedish football club located in Mjällby. The club, formed in 1939, won the title of Sweden's second-level of football Superettan in the 2009 season and thus gained promotion to the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
with 2–0 in Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
before 24,148 in attendance in the last game of the season to win the league that year. The record for the stadium as an all-seater was recorded when Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
beat San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
with 6–0 in a Euro 2012 qualifying game on 7 September 2010 in front of a crowd of 21,083. The inaugural attendance for Swedbank Stadion was 23,347, in a 3–0 Allsvenskan victory against Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS, also commonly referred to as ÖIS, is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg.-History:The club was founded on 4 December 1887 and participated in the first football match in Sweden on 22 May 1892. Örgryte IS has won 12 national championship titles and one national cup title. After...
on 13 April 2009. The average attendance for Malmö FF's games in the 2010 season was 15,194, the best attendance in Allsvenskan 2010 and the best attendance in the history of the stadium as of 2011.
Transportation
Swedbank Stadion is currently served by bus line 3, as well as lines 5, 6 and 34 all of which stops in the vicinity of the stadium. Local transit authority SkånetrafikenSkånetrafiken
Skånetrafiken is the regional public transportation authority and operator in Skåne län, in the south of Sweden.Skånetrafiken was founded in 1999 when the two counties Kristianstads län and Malmöhus län were merged into one region. During this merger the two respective transport authorities were...
also operate dedicated match-day buses branded as line 84, from different areas of Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
. Due to the central location of the stadium in Malmö, parking space is limited and spectators are advised to use public transportation at larger games.
The stadium is also located close to the underground railway station Triangeln
Triangeln railway station
Triangeln Station, , is a new railway station in central Malmö, Sweden, located by Sankt Johannes church close to the neighbourhood of Möllevången and Pildammsparken. The station opened in 2010 as a part of the newly built Citytunneln along with Hyllie railway station and a new underground part of...
, which opened in December 2010 as a part of Citytunneln. The station is served by Pågatåg
Skåne commuter rail
The Skåne Commuter Rail is a commuter rail system in Skåne County, Sweden. The system also acts as a regional rail system, as it serves other cities over from the principal city of Malmö.- Lines inside Skåne :Local trains, called Pågatåg...
and Öresund Trains
Oresundtrain
Oresundtrain or Øresundståg is a regional rail network serving the Oresund Region. The train consists of multiple units manufactured by Bombardier Transportation in Kalmar, previously known as Kalmar Verkstad and lately in Hennigsdorf by LEW Hennigsdorf...
, and is reachable non-stop from many parts of the Öresund Region
Oresund Region
The Øresund or Öresund Region is a transnational region in northern Europe, centred on the cities of Copenhagen and Malmö. Located by the shores of the Øresund strait and connected by the Oresund Bridge, the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand constitute the Danish side, while Skåne...
.
The closest parking location to Swedbank Stadion is "P-huset Stadion" a parking garage with 440 parking spaces built for stadium and opened in September 2009. The garage is located just 100 metres from the stadium just beside the clubs training grounds. There are also various other parking spaces spread out in the vicinity.