New Delhi: The Gelsenkirchen arena was officially opened on August 13, 2001, immediately setting a new benchmark in the art of stadium construction.
European governing body Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) assigned the multifunctional arena to the highest-possible five-star category, commenting: "This venue more than fulfills the necessary criteria, and might even qualify as a 'Six-star stadium'."
"This stadium is a pilot project for the whole world", praised FIFA President Joseph S Blatter.
The Champions League Final was staged here on May 27, 2004. The FIFA World Cup Stadium Gelsenkirchen project was entirely financed by private capital, at no cost whatsoever to the public purse.
FIFA paid an official visit to Gelsenkirchen in 2002 for the ceremonial unveiling of the Official Emblem.
The ‘Celebrating Faces of Football’ were projected onto a fifteen-foot high wall of water in the centre of the pitch.
The Arena, lauded by former minister-president Wolfgang Clement as ‘football’s crowning glory,’ can justifiably claim to be the most modern in Europe.
And the stadium owes it to an array of ground-breaking technical facilities set to revolutionise standards in stadium design, including a removable playing surface, giant video cube, a retractable roof and electronic admission controls.
By early 2005, the Arena had staged more than 150 events and attracted over eight million spectators.
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