Groupama Aréna | |
 | |
 Interactive map of Ferencváros Stadion | |
| Location | Ferencváros,Budapest, Hungary |
|---|---|
| Public transit |   Népliget |
| Owner | Hungarian State |
| Operator | Lagardère Group |
| Executive suites | 34skybox |
| Capacity | 23,700 (22,122 for international matches) |
| Record attendance | 22,060 (sport) Hungary 0–0Romania UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| Field size | 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft) |
| Surface | Grass Field |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 27 March 2013 |
| Built | 2013–14 |
| Opened | 10 August 2014 |
| Construction cost | c. 13,5 billionHUF (€40 million) |
| Architect | Ágnes Streit Szabolcs Kormos |
| Main contractors | Market Építő Zrt. |
| Tenants | |
| Ferencváros (2014–present) Hungary national football team (2014–2019) MOL Vidi FC (2018) (European competitions matches) | |
| Website | |
| www.groupamaarena.com | |
TheFerencváros Stadion, also known as theGroupama Aréna for sponsorship purposes, is amulti-purpose stadium inFerencváros,Budapest, Hungary and the home ofFerencvárosi TC.[1][2] With a capacity of 22,000, it was for a time the largest stadium in Hungary (between the demolition of the largerFerenc Puskás Stadium in 2017 and the opening of thePuskás Aréna in November 2019). It was built on the site of the formerFlórián Albert Stadium, the club's previous home, which was demolished in 2013.
The French insurance groupGroupama purchased thenaming rights to the stadium. However, the name cannot be used when hostingFIFA andUEFA events, since these governing bodies have policies forbidding corporate sponsorship from companies that are not official tournament partners.
Since 1911,Ferencváros had played their home games atStadion Albert Flórián, originally named Üllői úti Stadion. The stadium had had a major upgrade from 1971 to 1974, and in the 21st century the club desired a stadium with an expanded capacity. Reconstruction of Stadion Albert Flórián was rejected for financial reasons, and plans to demolish the stadium and replace it with an entirely new structure were presented at a press conference in April 2012 byGábor Kubatov, the president ofFerencváros. The proposed capacity of 22,600 would make it the second biggest stadium in Hungary.
The new stadium would be reorientated 90° and closer to Gyáli út, with a pitch 10 cm below ground level. Corporate hospitality, a restaurant, shop and museum were all planned, along with expanded changing facilities.[3]
Market építő Zrt won the tender to construct the stadium, with a projected cost of 13.5 billion Ft. Construction started on 28 March 2013,[4] with an estimated completion time of autumn 2014.[5]
On 24 May 2013, Balázs Fürjes, MP of theHungarian Parliament and person responsible for the investment, announced that the stadium would be finished on time. The construction of the new stadium is expected to be completed by the fall of 2014. In 2013 there will be 5,4 billionHUF available for the project and 8,1 billion HUF in 2014.Mihály Varga, minister of national economy of Hungary, said that the sale of the estate, which will be gained by rotating the stadium by 90°, will cover the expenses of the stadium. If the construction is not completed on time, the constructor company (Market Épitő Zrt.) will have to pay 65 million HUF daily.[6]
Melinda Várkonyi said that an 82-millimetregrenade was found at the building site of the new stadium. Allegedly the shell originates from aSovietgrenade launcher from theSecond World War.[7]
On 3 October 2013, Balázs Fürjes, MP of the Hungarian Parliament, said that the construction of the stadium is of record speed. It was quite sure that the club could start the 2014–15 Hungarian League season in the new stadium. The Ferencváros club centre was opened, where the fans of the club can take a look at the plans of the new stadium or a3D film can be watched about the future stadium. Balázs Fürjes also pointed out that the new stadium will be amulti-purpose stadium where concerts, conferences, cultural events can be held apart from association football matches. He also mentioned that the elements of the old Albert stadium will be used for the construction of the new stadium. Therefore, it is a green investment for two reasons: for the colours of the club, and for theeco-friendly construction. The steel structure, which weighs 2800tons, was made inKecskemét while the concrete structure, which is 25,000 cubic metres, was made inDunaújváros. The construction of the new stadium gives jobs for almost 2000blue-collar workers.[8]
On 17 January 2014, new photos about the new stadium were released on the Facebook site of the Albert Stadium.[9]
On 18 April 2014, it was announced that a 3-metre-tall statue of FerencvárosBallon d'Or winnerFlórián Albert will be erected in front of the main entrance. Sándor Kligl, sculptor and artist, was asked to make thebronze statue. The artist also said that he saw playing the Ferencváros legend live and it was worth going to the stadium just because of him. He was commissioned with many different tasks but this has been the most special one in his life.Junior Flórián Albert said that it was a moving moment to look at his father statue.[10]
In April 2014, Lagardère Unlimited Stadium Solutions, the dedicated agency for stadia and arena operations owned byLagardère Unlimited, signed a long-term naming right contract with and French insurerGroupama. The deal includes the operation, management and marketing of the new arena. Lagardère Unlimited Stadium Solutions is currently involved in consulting, operations and marketing services in several stadiums worldwide, includingCommerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt,Imtech Arena in Hamburg and two stadiums inBrazil. On 2 July 2014, it was announced that the name of the new stadium would be the Groupama Arena.
On 7 July 2014, it was announced that the first kick would be executed by Ferencváros legend, Ferenc Rudas.[11]
It was revealed that one of the halls will be named after former Ferencváros andBarcelona legendLászló Kubala who played for Ferencváros between 1945 and 1946 and scored 33 goals in 50 matches.[12][13]
On 4 August 2014, the first unofficial match was played at the stadium in front of 6,500 spectators. Ferencváros old-boys team includingSzeiler,Dzurják,Lipcsei,Telek, andLisztes hosted their arch-rivalÚjpest old-boys includingKovács,Szlezák,Fehér,Egressy, andMészöly. The final result was 6–5 to Újpest. The tickets for free those supporters who purchased season tickets before the match and for the workers and their relatives who contributed to the construction of the new stadium.[14]
On 10 August 2014,Ferencváros played the opening match againstChelsea F.C. The first goal at the new stadium was scored by Ferencváros Legened,Zoltán Gera in the 17th minute. However, in the second halfRamires (51st minute) andFàbregas scored (81st minute) which resulted the 2–1 defeat at the new stadium for the home side.[15][16][17]
On 10 August 2014, around 2,500 spectators belonging to the B Közép organised an alternative match at the stadium ofBKV Előre SC in protest against the high entrance fees earmarked by the leadership of Ferencváros, the entrance security checks, and that Chelsea would play the opening match against Ferencváros and not the Austrian archrivalRapid Wien. The two teams included the supporters of Ferencváros and Rapid Wien.[18]
On 24 August 2014, the firstHungarian League match was played at the stadium. Ferencváros beatNyíregyháza 3–1. The first goal was scored byBusai in the 13th minute.[19]
On 7 September 2014,Hungary played their first match at the stadium againstNorthern Ireland. TheUEFA Euro 2016 qualifier ended with a 2–1 away victory.[20]
On 14 November 2014,Hungary won their first match at the new stadium by beatingFinland 1–0 thanks toGera's 84th-minute goal in theUEFA Euro 2016 qualifier.[21]
On 9 July 2015, Ferencváros played their first international match at the stadium against Dutch clubGo Ahead Eagles in the second leg of the first qualifying round of the2015–16 UEFA Europa League, with Ferencváros winning 4–1.[22]
On 20 May 2016 the first non-UEFA member was hosted in the stadium when Hungary played againstIvory Coast in a goalless friendly tier.[23]
On 22 September 2017, it was announced that the firstCONCACAF member to play at the stadium will be national team ofCosta Rica.[24]
Thefinal of the2018–19 UEFA Women's Champions League was held at the stadium on 18 May 2019.[25]
The stadium was categorised as aCategory 4 facility by the UEFA which is suitable forNemzeti Bajnokság I,Magyar Kupa,UEFA European Championship qualifying,FIFA World Cup qualification,UEFA Champions League group stage and quarter-final. In addition, the stadium can hostFIFA U-17 World Cup and U21FIFA U20 World Cup.[26]
The capacity of the arena is 23,800 forNemzeti Bajnokság I andMagyar Kupa matches and 22,000 forUEFA andFIFA matches. The difference is due to the fact that there are standing stands in the B-közép and the visitors sector.[27] The area of the stadium is 19,042 square metres, including the pitch it is 28,746.5 square metres. The main building has four floors, and under it there is a three-level garage which can host 354 vehicles. There is a car park in front of the main building which can host 106 cars. Next to the stadium there is also a parking lot which can host 405 cars.[28]
The construction took 14 months. During the construction 60 000 cubic metre was moved. The amount of the concrete used in the construction was 24 492 cubic metre, while the steel structure was 2708 tons. The steel structure was manufactured inKecskemét, while thepre-fabricated concrete was made inDunaújváros.[29]
The stadium cost 53.3 million USD. The price per seat was 1,996 USD. In 2014, the arena was the fifth cost-per-seat building and sixth by price in Hungary.Nagyerdei Stadion ofDebrecen overtook in cost, but not in cost-per-seat.[30]
Székesfehérvár-basedMOL Vidi FC played their home matches of the2018–19 UEFA Europa League group stage againstBATE Borisov,PAOK FC, andChelsea F.C. in the stadium due to the reconstruction ofSóstói Stadion.
Besides football, the stadium can be configured to hold many other events, particularly major concerts but also private events like weddings and conferences. The first concert at the new stadium was given byDepeche Mode on 22 May 2017.
| List of concerts | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Date | Main act(s) | Opening act(s) | Tour / Concert name | Tickets sold | |
| 2017 | 22 May | Depeche Mode | — | Global Spirit Tour | 25,200 | |
| 23 August | Robbie Williams | The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour | ||||
On 7 August 2014, The Fradi Museum was opened. The visitors to the museum can get acquainted with the history of Ferencváros. Cups, trophies and flags can be seen at the museum such asFlórián Albert's1967 Ballon d'Or, the trophy of the 1937Mitropa Cup,Tibor Nyilasi's Silver shoe, and the trophy of the1965 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final along with many other trophies and cups in connection with the club can be seen.[31]
TheCashless catering system is used in the premises of the entire stadium.[32]
The arena has been the first stadium in Hungary wherevein matching or vascular technology has been installed.
Groupama Arena is located in the ninth district ofBudapest, Hungary. The arena can be approached byBudapest Metro Line 3. The nearest Metro station is calledNépliget.
| Service | Station/Stop | Line/Route | Walking distance from Groupama Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
Budapest Metro | Népliget | Blue | 100 m2 mins |
| Budapest tram | Népliget | 1 | 100 m2 mins |
| Budapest Bus | Népliget | 254E 901 914 914A 918 937 950 | 100 m2 mins |
v
Chelsea| 10 August 2014 | Ferencváros | 1–2 | Chelsea | Friendly match (Opening match) |
Gera 17' | (Report) | Ramires 51' Fàbregas 81' | Attendance: 20,000 Referee:István Vad (Hungary) |
vNyíregyháza| 24 August 2014 | Ferencváros | 3–1 | Nyíregyháza | 2014–15 Nemzeti Bajnokság I (First Nemzeti Bajnokság I match) |
| Busai 13' Gera 28'Mateos 67' | (Report) | Bajzát 78' | Attendance: 12,128 Referee:István Vad (Hungary) |
vZalaegerszeg| 17 September 2014 | Ferencváros | 2–0 | Zalaegerszeg | 2014–15 Ligakupa (First Ligakupa match) |
| Ugrai 34' Nagy 82' | (Report) | Attendance: 437 Referee:József Berger (Hungary) |
vCsákvár| 4 March 2015 | Ferencváros | 5–0 | Csákvár | 2014–15 Magyar Kupa (First Magyar Kupa match) |
| Busai 7' 62' 70' Lamah 37'Ramírez 64' | (Report) | Attendance: 3,514 Referee: Karakó (Hungary) |
v
Go Ahead Eagles| 9 July 2015 | Ferencváros | 4–1 | Go Ahead Eagles | 2015–16 Europa League (First Europa League match) |
| Gera 4' Böde 20'Busai 45'Haraszti 89' | (Report) | Türüç 90+3' | Attendance: 0[33] Referee: TBD |
v
Partizani Tirana| 20 July 2016 | Ferencváros | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (1–3p) | Partizani Tirana | 2016–17 Champions League (First Champions League match) |
| 19:30 | Gera 14' (pen.) | Report | Hüsing 40' (o.g.) | Attendance: 8,752 Referee:Kristo Tohver (Estonia) |
| Penalties | ||||
Gera Šesták Nagy  Ramírez | HoxhaVilaTrashiEkuban | |||
| 20 May 2015 | Videoton | 0–4 | Ferencváros | 2015 Magyar Kupa Final |
| (Report) | Varga 53' Batik 60'Lamah 53'Szolnoki 86' (og.) | Attendance: 15,127 Referee:Zoltán Iványi (Hungary) |
| 7 May 2016 | Újpest | 0–1 | Ferencváros | 2016 Magyar Kupa Final |
| (Report) | Gera 79' | Attendance: 19,000 Referee:Zoltán Iványi (Hungary) |
| 31 May 2017 | Vasas | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–5p) | Ferencváros | 2017 Magyar Kupa Final |
| (CEST) 20:30 | Kulcsár 47' | Report | 26'Varga | Attendance: 14,970 Referee:Péter Solymosi |
| Penalties | ||||
| Remili Berecz Ristevski Vida Gaál | VargaLeandroRadóSternbergCukic | |||
| 23 May 2018 (2018-05-23) | Puskás Akadémia | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–5p) | Újpest | 2018 Magyar Kupa Final |
| 20:00CEST | Knežević 38' Perošević 66' | Zsótér 55' Bojović 63' | Attendance: 11270 |
| 25 May 2019 | Honvéd | 1–2 | MOL Vidi | 2019 Magyar Kupa Final |
| Holender 14' (pen.) | (Report) | Šćepović 79'Hadžić 90+1' | Attendance: 12,777 Referee:Zoltán Iványi (Hungary) |
v
Northern Ireland| 7 September 2014Euro 2016 Q | Hungary | 1–2 | Northern Ireland | |
| 18:00CET | Priskin 75' | Report | McGinn 81' K. Lafferty 88' | Attendance: 20,672 Referee:Deniz Aytekin (Germany) |
v
Finland| 14 November 2014Euro 2016 Q | Hungary | 1–0 | Finland | |
| 20:45CET | Gera 84' | Report | Attendance: 19,500 Referee:Clément Turpin (France) |
v
Russia| 18 November 2014Friendly match | Hungary | 1–2 | Russia | |
| 20:30CET | Nikolić 86' | Report | Ignashevich 49' Kerzhakov 80' | Attendance: 4,000 Referee:Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey) |
v
Greece| 29 March 2015Euro 2016 Q | Hungary | 0–0 | Greece | |
| 20:45CET | Report | Attendance: 22,000 Referee:Sergei Karasev (Russia) |
v Romania| 4 September 2015Euro 2016 Q | Hungary | 0–0 | Romania | |
| 20:45CET | Report | Attendance: 22,060 Referee:Felix Brych (Germany) |
v
Faroe Islands| 8 October 2015Euro 2016 Q | Hungary | 2–1 | Faroe Islands | |
| 20:45CET | Böde 63', 71' | Report | Jakobsen 11' | Attendance: 16,175 Referee:Robert Schörgenhofer (Austria) |
v
Norway| 15 November 2015Euro 2016 Q PO | Hungary | 2–1 | Norway | |
| 20:45CET | Priskin 14' Henriksen 83' (o.g.) | Report | Henriksen 87' | Attendance: 22,000 Referee:Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain) |
v
Croatia| 26 March 2016Friendly match | Hungary | 1–1 | Croatia | |
| 18:00CET | Dzsudzsák 79' | Report | Mandžukić 18' | Attendance: 20,300 Referee:Radek Prihoda (Czech Republic) |
v
Ivory Coast| 20 May 2016Friendly match | Hungary | 0–0 | Ivory Coast | |
| 18:00CET | Report | Attendance: 19,900 Referee:Vlado Glođović (Serbia) |
v
Switzerland| 7 October 20162018 FIFA WC Q | Hungary | 2–3 | Switzerland | |
| 20:45CET | Szalai 53',71' | Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) | Seferovic 51' Rodríguez 67'Stocker 89' | Attendance: 21,546 Referee:Björn Kuipers (Netherlands) |
v
Andorra| 13 November 20162018 FIFA WC Q | Hungary | 4–0 | Andorra | |
| 18:00CET | Gera 34' Lang 43'Gyurcsó 73'Szalai 88' | Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA)[dead link] | Attendance: 21,344 Referee:Christos Nicolaides (Cyprus) |
v
Sweden| 15 November 2016Friendly match | Hungary | 0–2 | Sweden | |
| 19:45CET | Report | 30'Larsson 67'Thelin | Attendance: 16,842 Referee:Paolo Valeri (Italy) |
v Russia| 5 June 2017Friendly match | Hungary | 0–3 | Russia | |
| 20:30CET | Report | 20'Smolov 40'Eppel (o.g.) 89'Poloz | Attendance: 12,442 Referee:Christian Dingert (Germany) |
v
Latvia| 31 August 20172018 FIFA WC Q | Hungary | 3–1 | Latvia | |
| 20:45CET | 6'Kádár 26'Szalai 68'Dzsudzsák | Report | 40'Freimanis | Attendance: 20,036 Referee:Yevhen Aranovsky (Ukraine) |
v
Portugal| 3 September 20172018 FIFA WC Q | Hungary | 0–1 | Portugal | |
| 20:45CET | Report | 48'A. Silva | Attendance: 21,344 Referee:Danny Makkelie (Netherlands) |
v Faroe Islands| 10 October 20172018 FIFA WC Q | Hungary | 1–0 | Faroe Islands | |
| 20:45CET | Böde 81' | Report | Attendance: 18,775 Referee:Roi Reinshreiber (Israel) |
v
Costa Rica| 14 November 2017Friendly match | Hungary | 1–0 | Costa Rica | |
| 20:15CET | Nikolić 37' | Report | Attendance: 9,860 Referee:Alexander Harkam (Austria) |
v
Kazakhstan| 23 March 2018Friendly match | Hungary | 2–3 | Kazakhstan | |
| 19:00CET | Szalai 21' Németh 68' | Report | 6'Murtazayev 21'Zaynutdinov 39'Seidakhmet | Attendance: 9,038 Referee:Tomasz Musial (Poland) |
v
Scotland| 27 March 2018Friendly match | Hungary | 0–1 | Scotland | |
| 20:00CET | Report |
| Attendance: 9,000 Referee:Harald Lechner (Austria) |
v
Australia| 9 June 2018Friendly match | Hungary | 1–2 | Australia | |
| 17:30CEST | Report | Attendance: 10,091 Referee:Matej Jug (Slovenia) |
v Greece| 11 September 20182018–19 UEFA NL | Hungary | 2–1 | Greece | |
| 20:45CET |
| Report |
| Attendance: 120 Referee:Aleksei Kulbakov (Belarus) |
v
Estonia| 15 November 20182018–19 UEFA NL | Hungary | 2–0 | Estonia | |
| 20:45CET | Report | Attendance: 7,775 Referee:Enea Jorgji (Albania) |
v Finland| 18 November 20182018–19 UEFA NL | Hungary | 2–0 | Finland | |
| 20:45CET | Report | Attendance: 9,200 Referee:Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia) |
v Croatia| 24 March 2019Euro 2020 Q | Hungary | 2–1 | Croatia | |
| 18:00CET | Report |
| Attendance: 19,400 Referee:Willie Collum (Scotland) |
v
Wales| 11 June 2019Euro 2020 Q | Hungary | 1–0 | Wales | |
| 20:45CET |
| Report | Attendance: 18,350 Referee:Matej Jug (Slovenia) |
v
Slovakia| 9 September 2019Euro 2020 Q | Hungary | 1–2 | Slovakia | |
| 20:45CET |
| Report | Attendance: 22,000 Referee:Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) |
v
Azerbaijan| 13 October 2019Euro 2020 Q | Hungary | 1–0 | Azerbaijan | |
| 18:00CET |
| Report | Attendance: 11,300 Referee:Dennis Higler (Netherlands) |
Note:
| Match | P | W | D | L | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifier | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 27–13 |
| Friendly | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6–14 |
| Total | 27 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 33–27 |
Top-scorer:Ádám Szalai (8 goals)
This table includes only domestic league matches.
| Season | Ferencvárosi TC | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | GP | Average | Change | Highest Gate | Lowest Gate | ||||
| 2014–15 | NB I | 15 | 8,384 | – | 21,217 | vsÚjpest | 3,465 | vsPápa | [34] |
| 2015–16 | NB I | 17 | 7,737 | −7.7% | 17,489 | vsÚjpest | 4,858 | vsPuskás Akadémia | [35] |
| 2016–17 | NB I | 17 | 6,721 | −13.1% | 11,760 | vsÚjpest | 4,754 | vsMTK Budapest | [36] |
| 2017–18 | NB I | 17 | 9,066 | +34.8% | 19,125 | vsDebrecen | 4,911 | vsSzombathelyi Haladás | [37] |
| 2018–19 | NB I | 17 | 10,715 | +18.2% | 20,675 | vsÚjpest | 6,771 | vsPuskás Akadémia | [38] |
| 2019–20 | NB I | 15[39] | 9,175 | −14.3% | 18,759 | vsÚjpest | 2,123 | vsKisvárda | [40] |
| 2020–21 | NB I | 5[41] | 7,623 | −16.9% | 15,789 | vsÚjpest | 2,921 | vsMezőkövesd | [42] |
| 2021–22 | NB I | 17 | 8,709 | +14.2% | 20,155 | vsÚjpest | 5,677 | vsMezőkövesd,ZTE | [43] |
| 2022–23 | NB I | 16 | 10,430 | +19.7% | 18,197 | vsÚjpest | 7,051 | vsPuskás Akadémia | [44] |
| 2023–24 | NB I | 17 | 11,340 | +8.7% | 20,357 | vsÚjpest | 6,127 | vsMezőkövesd | [45] |
| 2024–25 | NB I | 16 | 11,236 | −0.9% | 19,021 | vsPuskás Akadémia | 6,695 | vsMTK Budapest | [46] |
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| Preceded by | UEFA Women's Champions League Final venue 2019 | Succeeded by |
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47°28′32″N19°5′43″E / 47.47556°N 19.09528°E /47.47556; 19.09528
