Stadiums that have a rich history and ones that have been around for several decades have something special about them. However, some stadiums in the world are special in many ways – these stadiums stand out from the rest. But where are these stadiums and what is so unique about them?
First is home of S.C. Braga – the Estádio Municipal de Braga, also known as The Quarry. It was built in 2003 and it was used as a venue for the UEFA Euro 2004, as well as being home to Braga. The Portuguese-based stadium has a capacity of around 30,000 with two large stands on either side of the pitch and behind one of the goals, beholds a spectacular view of a towering mountain alongside a scoreboard.
The architect of the stadium, Eduardo Souto de Moura, was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize with the 70-year-old being instrumental in designing one of the most spectacular stadiums in Europe. Braga has also seen a lot of success on the pitch as they have played European football in the last seven seasons. They reached the 2010/11 Europa League Final which they lost to fellow Portuguese side Porto in Dublin.
The Estádio Municipal de Braga is a sight to behold. The mountain behind the goal is something you will not see anywhere else in Europe which makes it so unique. This stunning stadium has attracted people from across the world to visit the Estádio Municipal de Braga – and you cannot see why not.
Next up, is the weird but wonderful home of Bursaspor in Turkey. Timsah Arena, translated to Crocodile Arena in English, has one main reason why people like it so much – the crocodile structure that comes out the side of the stadium. Bursaspor’s stadium has a crocodile coming out the side of it, that is because Bursaspor’s nickname is Yeşil Timsahlar, Green Crocodiles in English.
Timsah Arena has a capacity of just under 45,000 and it was officially unveiled in December 2015. Despite having a large stadium, this does not bring success on the pitch and the Green Crocodiles finished in 17th place in the TFF 1 League, the second tier of Turkish football, last season.
What many people like about this stadium is how they have used their club identity and transformed it to represent their club. For example, imagine what it would be like if Crystal Palace moved stadium which had an eagle coming out of the side of one of the stands – it could prove very popular but controversial to some.
Lastly, the most successful of the three teams, is Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena. The stadium, which opened 17 years ago, has a capacity of around 75,000. It is one of Germany’s and Europe’s most picturesque stadiums and it looks even better when it is dark. This is because there are inflated plastic panels on the exterior of the stadium which means that the outside of the stadium can change to many different colours.
Ever since moving out of the Munich Olympic Stadium, Bayern Munich has seen a lot of success on the pitch. They have lifted two Champions League titles in 2013 and 2020, as well as lifting 13 Bundesliga titles – not to mention the eight DFB Pokal trophies they have additionally won.
The Allianz Arena is an eye-catching spectacle which many clubs envy. It plays host to an extremely successful team that is usually guaranteed to win a trophy of some sort each season. The German national team also plays at the Allianz Arena – a team which is one of the favourites for the Qatar World Cup.
But out of these three stadiums, which is your favourite?
JP Journalism 