New GSP Stadium | |
.jpg) Interior of GSP Stadium | |
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| Full name | Στάδιο Γυμναστικού Συλλόγου «Τα Παγκύπρια»/Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Strovolos,Nicosia District,Cyprus |
| Coordinates | 35°6′52.3″N33°21′46.2″E / 35.114528°N 33.362833°E /35.114528; 33.362833 |
| Owner | Pancyprian Gymnastic Association |
| Operator | GSP |
| Executive suites | 31 |
| Capacity | 22,859[2] |
| Record attendance | 23,043 APOEL Nicosia vsOmonia Nicosia (7 December 2002 –Cypriot First Division) |
| Field size | 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft) |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1995 |
| Built | 1995–1998 |
| Opened | 6 October 1999; 25 years ago (1999-10-06) |
| Architect | TDA Architects |
| Project manager | KAL Engineering |
| Structural engineer | KAL Engineering Ltd |
| General contractor | Group APC Plc[1] |
| Tenants | |
| APOEL Nicosia FC (1999–present) AC Omonia Nicosia (1999–present) Olympiakos Nicosia (1999–2008, 2009–2013, 2021–2022) Cyprus national football team (2000–2021) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheGSP Stadium (Greek:Στάδιο ΓΣΠ) is afootballstadium inStrovolos,Nicosia District,Cyprus. Although small by international standards, it is the largest stadium in Cyprus, with a capacity of 22,859 and was opened in 1999. It serves as the home stadium for the 3 biggest football clubs of NicosiaAPOEL, Olympiakos &Omonia. It is also the home stadium of theCyprus national football team. A stadium under the same name, theold GSP Stadium, existed from 1902 until 1999 in the centre of Nicosia and had a capacity of 12,000.
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Designed by Theo. David Architects, the new GSP Stadium opened for use on 6 October 1999. The complex has three arenas: a football stadium, an athletics stadium and an auxiliary football pitch intended for training. The stadium is owned by thePancyprian Gymnastic Association. With an officialseating capacity of 22,859 the GSP Stadium is the largest football venue in Cyprus. It is located at the entrance to Nicosia (as approached from theA1 highway) and was inaugurated in 1999 by the then-PresidentGlafcos Clerides andArchbishop Chrysostomos I. The first game was held on 6 October 1999 and there was a friendly match betweenAPOEL andOmonia, which ended 3–3.
Since then, the stadium is not only the home of Nicosian teams but usually of Cyprus national football team. During theWorld Cup 2006 qualifying round it was used as home for all matches of Cyprus. The stadium is the only one in Cyprus which satisfies UEFA Criteria. For this reason since 2004 it is used as home for all the teams of Cyprus in European Cups. Annually, the stadium hosts theCypriot Super Cup. Also until 2005, it was hosting annually theCypriot Cup final.
In 2002, the stadium was home forIsraeli clubs for theUEFA Cup andUEFA Champions League matches. It hosted theUEFA Cup quarter final (as home for Hapoel Tel Aviv) betweenHapoel Tel Aviv andA.C. Milan. It was also used byMaccabi Haifa for home stadium for the2002–03 UEFA Champions League group stage matches and for theUEFA Cup matches. Some matches were attractive for Cypriots like the matches Maccabi Haifa-Olympiacos CFP and Maccabi Haifa-Manchester United, since those two Maccabi's rivals are very popular in Cyprus.
It's the only stadium in Cyprus build only for track & field games. In addition with the hotel, it provides a full training centre solution for athletes all over the world. During theAthens 2004 Olympic Games, many athletes from different countries used the stadium for training.[citation needed]
The GSP Stadium hosted all home matches ofAnorthosis Famagusta's2008–09 UEFA Champions Leaguegroup stage campaign and allAPOEL's2009–10 UEFA Champions Leaguegroup stage home matches. Two years later, it hosted all APOEL's home matches in the club's surprising run to thequarter-finals of the2011–12 UEFA Champions League. Also, it hosted again all APOEL's home matches in their third participation in the2014–15 UEFA Champions Leaguegroup stages. All matches were sold out by APOEL's fans.
The GSP Stadium also hostedAEK Larnaca's2011–12 UEFA Europa Leaguegroup stage matches,AEL Limassol's2012–13 UEFA Europa Leaguegroup stage matches, APOEL's andApollon Limassol's2013–14 UEFA Europa Leaguegroup stage matches, Apollon's2014–15 UEFA Europa Leaguegroup stage matches and APOEL's2015–16 group stage matches. The GSP Stadium also hosted all APOEL's home matches in the club's impressive run to thelast 16 of the2016–17 UEFA Europa League.
Due toMaidan Revolution in Kyiv and afterUEFA's decision, the GSP Stadium hosted the2013–14 UEFA Europa Leagueround of 32 match betweenDynamo Kyiv andValencia CF on 20 February 2014, which ended in 0–2 Valencia win.[3]
In the 2016–17 domestic league season, tenants APOEL drew the highest average home attendance (7,126).[4]
The all-time attendance record for the football stadium is 23,043 tickets in the match betweenAPOEL andOmonia for the2002–03 Cypriot First Division.[5] The match was held on 7 December 2002 and ended in a goalless draw.
The record of the highest attendance for aEuropean Competition game is 22,701[6] tickets in the match betweenAPOEL andOlympique Lyonnais for the2011–12 UEFA Champions League last-16. The match was held on 7 March 2012 and ended with a 1–0 win for APOEL after extra time and 4–3 win on penalties.
| Season | APOEL | Olympiakos | Omonia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16[7] | 7,362 | Makario Stadium | 6,002 |
| 2014–15[8] | 6,890 | Makario Stadium | 7,414 |
| 2013–14 | 7,108 | Makario Stadium | 6,332 |
| 2012–13 | 9,582 | 983 | 7,807 |
| 2011–12 | 8,248 | 1,506 | 8,176 |
| 2010–11 | 9,418 | 1,587 | 7,799 |
| 2009–10 | 7,582 | 461 (2nd Div.) | 9,070 |
| 2008–09 | 7,670 | Makario Stadium | 9,295 |
| 2007–08 | 7,239 | 1,692 | 5,967 |
| 2006–07 | 8,932 | 1,563 | 6,678 |
| 2005–06 | 7,460 | 1,703 | 8,557 |
| 2004–05 | 7,714 | 1,981 | 6,535 |
| 2003–04 | 8,387 | 1,911 | 11,003 |
| 2002–03 | 8,205 | 2,761 | 10,877 |
| 2001–02 | 7,604 | 1,959 | 7,825 |
| 2000–01 | 3,893 | 2,201 | 8,620 |
| 1999–00 | 3,718 | 1,505 | 4,693 |
Source:European Football Statistics
| Stand | Capacity | Entrance Gates |
|---|---|---|
| West Stand | 7,818 | 6 |
| East Stand | 4,939 | 4 |
| North Stand | 4,749 | 4 |
| South Stand | 4,953 | 4 |
| VIP Boxes | 400 | 1 |
| Total | 22,859 | 19 |
The Gymnastic AssociationPancypria was founded in 1894 with the initiative of the lawyer Theofanis Theodotou and the doctors Antonios Theodotou and Aristofanis Fenievs.
In 1896, the G.S. Pancypria participated in the A' Pancyprian Games which took place in the G.S. Olympia Stadium inLimassol. Since then it has participated in all pancyprian games because the Pancyprian Games became a significant national feast for Cyprus, during which the stadium, where the games were taking place, was decorated with Greek flags and the national desires were proclaimed .[citation needed]
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