Veltins Arena
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Age: 31
Position: Forward
Country: Ecuador
Caps: 67
Goals: 29
Club: Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito
Previous clubs: El Nacional, Bacelona de Guayaquil, Necaxa, Southampton, Aucas
Estimated 'Chelsea-target' value: £1 million. |  |
Thursday, 11, May 2006 05:03
Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen
Capacity: 53,000
Games Hosted:
Poland vs. Ecuador (Group A);
USA vs. Czech Republic (Group E);
Argentina vs. Serbia & Montenegro (Group C);
Portugal vs. Mexico (Group D)
Plus - 3rd Quarter-Final
Home Club: FC Schalke 04
Cost: $191 million, new stadium
Twinned with. The Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt or Cardiff's Millennium Stadium (or any one of the American NHL arenas with video cubes above the ice).
Gelsenkirchen guide
History: Formerly the Arena AufSchalke until the naming rights were purchased by a German brewer, the Veltins Arena is universally recognised as one of the most modern stadiums in Europe. Upon opening in August 2001, the stadium was hailed by FIFA President Sepp Blatter as "a pilot project for the whole world", incorporating many features that signal the next generation of football stadiums.
With an NHL arena-style video block suspended above the centre of the pitch, a retractable roof, a removable pitch and South Stand, and revolutionary electronic admission systems, the Veltins Arena has drawn comparisons with the futuristic dome stadium in Sapporo, which hosted England's 1-0 victory over Argentina at the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea.
The new stadium was constructed in just over 2 ½ years and replaced the old Park Stadium, which had become dilapidated in the 1990s. The new arena immediately gained notoriety. In 2004 it hosted the centenary of its home club, FC Schalke, as well as the Champions League final in which Jose Mourinho's unfancied Porto side triumphed over Monaco.
Should England emerge from their group as winners and successfully navigate the 2nd Round match, their quarter final (and probably last game if recent history is anything to go by) will be staged here. One of Schalke's most iconic players of all time, winger Reinhard Libuda, was nicknamed "Stan" because he played with quick feet like Sir Stanley Matthews. English fans will be hoping a successor to that illustrious name will emerge if they make it to the Veltins Arena for that June 29th game.
Alistair Potter