Cluj Arena

For the old stadium, see Stadionul Ion Moina (1911).

Cluj Arena
UEFA Category 4 Stadium
Location	Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania
Coordinates	46°46′6″N 23°34′20″E / 46.76833°N 23.57222°E / 46.76833; 23.57222Coordinates: 46°46′6″N 23°34′20″E / 46.76833°N 23.57222°E / 46.76833; 23.57222
Broke ground	July 16, 2009
Built	2009—2011
Opened	October 1, 2011 (2011-10-01)
Owner	Cluj County Council
Operator	FC Universitatea Cluj
Surface	grass
Scoreboard	Yes
Construction cost	€ 45 million[1]
Architect	Dico & Ţigănaş
Main contractors	ACI Cluj
Capacity	30,201[2]
Executive Suites	1,537
Record attendance	15,000
Field dimensions	105 x 68 metres
Tenants
FC Universitatea Cluj (2011–present)

Cluj Arena is a multi-use stadium in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It was ready as of October 2011 and is to be ranked as an UEFA Elite stadium. The stadium is the new home ground of FC Universitatea Cluj.^[3]

The owner, Cluj County Council, and the Government of Romania paid about €45,000,000 for the new stadium, which is able to hold 30,201 people. The stadium is composed of 4 two-tier covered stands and a new running track. The seats are grey coloured, with different nuances depending on their position. The sports complex also includes a 25 stories office building next to the stadium and a multipurpose hall of about 7.000 seats.

History

The first football and athletics stadium in Cluj-Napoca was built between 1908 and 1911. It had one wooden stand and a capacity of 1,500 people. The official inauguration in 1911 was done by organizing a game between a selection of Cluj and Galatasaray Istanbul. It was the first game in Europe for Galatasaray, and the selection of Cluj won 8-1.

In 1961 new stands were built and the capacity of the stadium became 28,000 on wooden benches, while the old stands were moved to Câmpia Turzii. The 1961 stands have a U-shaped appearance, as the name of the team that uses it. The stadium is named after Ion Moina, the fastest sprinter in Europe in 1948.

The demolition process of the old stadium began on November 20, 2008, so that it could free the space for the new one.

On 16 July 2009 the construction of the stadium began. The stadium was due to be finished by July 2011. By July 2011, about 90% of the new stadium was completed. The stadium officially opened for public in the first day of October. Eight days later the Scorpions held a concert and the next day Smokie played at Cluj Arena. The inaugural match was held on October 11, with a friendly between Universitatea Cluj and Kuban Krasnodar.^[4] The first official match was a Liga I encounter of Universitatea Cluj and FC Braşov, played on October 17.^[5]

Name

Cluj Arena

There were controversies involving the name of the new stadium. Before the demolition of the 1961-built arena, the stadium was called Ion Moina, but the new one was going to be named differently. While the fans proposed the name of Mircea Luca, a "U" Cluj legendary player, the local authorities were torn between "Cluj Arena" and lending the name to an international company, like in the case of the Allianz Arena.

Location

Cluj Arena is built on the same location as the old stadium, west of the Central Park and next to the Someşul Mic river. The area represents the city's old sport complex, built at the beginning of the century, which included the old stadium, the old indoor arena, and a sports oriented park. There were projects involving the stadium being built in other locations, but the authorities ceased due to public pressure and decided to build the new arena on the same premises.

Panoramic view of the arena

References

1. ^ "Cum se împart costurile pentru Cluj Arena" (in Romanian). Ziua de Cluj. 2011-01-06. http://www.ziuadecj.ro/administratie/cum-se-impart-costurile-pentru-cluj-arena--58304.html. Retrieved 2011-08-22. 
2. ^ "Montare scaune la Cluj Arena" (in Romanian). Consiliul Judeţean Cluj. 2011-04-04. http://www.cjcluj.ro/montare-scaune-la-cluj-arena/. Retrieved 2011-08-22. 
3. ^ "Încă un stadion!" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 2009-11-24. http://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-2/inca-un-stadion-164884.html. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
4. ^ "Familia „U” s-a intors acasa!" (in Romanian). FC Universitatea Cluj. 2011-10-12. http://www.universitateacluj.ro/Stiri/familia-u-s-a-intors-acasa-galerie-foto.html. Retrieved 2011-10-25. 
5. ^ "„Ne bucuram foarte mult pentru cele trei puncte!”" (in Romanian). FC Universitatea Cluj. 2011-10-17. http://www.universitateacluj.ro/Stiri/ne-bucuram-foarte-mult-pentru-cele-trei-puncte.html. Retrieved 2011-10-25. 

External links

• World Stadiums - Cluj Arena
• Virtual tour of Cluj Arena by TransilvanArt
• Cluj Arena Grand Opening, day 1, october 8 2011, photos by TransilvanArt
• Cluj Arena Grand Opening, day 2, october 9 2011, photos by TransilvanArt

Romanian football portal