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 Interactive map of RheinEnergieStadion | |
| Former names | Müngersdorfer Stadion (1923–2001) |
|---|---|
| Address | Aachener Straße 999 50933Cologne, Germany |
| Public transit |  RheinEnergieStadion |
| Owner | Kölner Sportstätten GmbH |
| Capacity | 50,000 (league matches)[2] 45,965 (international matches)[3] |
| Field size | 105 m x 68 m |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 12 October 1921 (1921-10-12) |
| Opened | 16 September 1923 (1923-09-16) |
| Renovated | 1972–1975, 2004 |
| Closed | 2001 |
| Demolished | 2001–2003 |
| Construction cost | DEM 47.4 million (DEM 22.9 million in 2021 Deutschmarks[1]) |
| Tenants | |
| Kölner BC 01 (1923–1947) SpVgg Sülz 07 (1923–1947) 1. FC Köln (1948–present) Cologne Centurions (2004–2007) FC Viktoria Köln (selected matches) Germany national football team (selected matches) | |
| Website | |
| https://www.rheinenergiestadion.de/ | |
Building details | |
 Interactive map of RheinEnergieStadion | |
| General information | |
| Renovated | 31 January 2004 (2004-01-31) |
| Renovation cost | €117.4 million |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Gerkan, Marg und Partner |
| Structural engineer | Schlaich Bergermann Partner |
| Services engineer | HL-Technik |
| Main contractor | Max Bögl |
RheinEnergieStadion, formerlyMüngersdorfer Stadion (German pronunciation:[ˌʁaɪnʔenɛʁˈɡiːˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn]ⓘ) orMüngersdorfer Stadium, is a Germanfootball stadium inCologne. It was built on the site of the two previous Müngersdorfer stadiums. It is the home of the local1. Bundesliga team,1. FC Köln. The stadium was one of eight stadiums to hostUEFA Euro 1988, with USSR beating Netherlands 1-0 and Italy beating Denmark 2–0 in the group stage. It was one of five stadiums hosting both the2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and2006 FIFA World Cup, hosted the2020 UEFA Europa League Final behind closed doors, and was one of ten host stadia forUEFA Euro 2024. Local energy companyRheinEnergie AG currently holds the naming rights to the stadium; hence it was known as theStadion Köln for the final.[4]
Under the terms of theTreaty of Versailles (1919), the fortifications ofCologne were removed, thus allowing for the building of a new structure in the surrounding area. The new construction enabled the city to create 15,000 jobs. The new stadium was called theMüngersdorfer Stadion. This allowed Cologne not only to help stabilize the country, but also to gain prestige and economic benefits for the city. The cost was tallied at 47.4 millionDeutsche Mark.
Following the completion of the stadium, the city began to gain prominence in the domestic sports world. Many major football matches were held at the stadium in front of huge crowds. The first international match was held on 20 November 1927, when theGermany national team drew 2–2 withthe Netherlands. Since then, the German team has played 19 times at the stadium, and only one of those matches resulted in a loss. Another notable match was the first post-war game, which saw1. FC Nürnberg beat1. FC Kaiserslautern 2–1, in front of a crowd of 75,000.
One of the specialties of the Müngersdorfer Stadion was the track meets for non-professional sportsmen. In 1929, there were over 38,000 participants. However, in 1933, Jews were no longer allowed to take part. After the war, the stadium has only hosted professional level sports.
In 2005, the stadium was a venue for three first-round games of theFIFA Confederations Cup, including the opening match betweenArgentina andTunisia. The game was won by Argentina 2–1.
The Müngersdorfer has been host to many importantUEFA Cup matches.Bayer Leverkusen played againstBarcelona, andGalatasaray againstMonaco in the1988–89 European Cup.Borussia Mönchengladbach played bothArsenal and Monaco in the1996–97 UEFA Cup. The stadium also functioned as the home ground to second-tierAlemannia Aachen in their 2004–05 UEFA Cup campaign.
Following theCOVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the2020 UEFA Europa League Final was moved from theStadion Energa Gdańsk inGdańsk, Poland to the RheinEnergieStadion, to be played behind closed doors.Sevilla won the match, defeatingInter Milan 3–2.
In July 2004, the RheinEnergieStadion was awarded a bronze medal for distinguished sporting and leisure facilities by theInternational Olympic Committee.
There have been two renovations, from 1972 to 1975 and from 2002 to 2004.
In 1974, theWorld Cup was held inWest Germany, andCologne had wanted to be a host city. The city's bid was approved and it soon began work on a new stadium that was to replace the now outdated Müngersdorfer Stadion. However, the city was unable to raise the money needed for a stadium of the desired size. The original plan was for an 80,000-seat arena, which was planned to have cost 23.5 million Deutsche Mark. But the total kept growing. In the end, if the stadium had been completed, the cost would have amounted to 93.5 million. At the time, the city was able to provide only an extra 6 million Deutsche Mark.
Following the World Cup, Cologne still wanted the stadium completed. Hence, on 12 November 1975, a 61,000-seat arena was inaugurated with a match between1. FC Köln andSC Fortuna Köln, 1. FC Köln winning 1–0. In this configuration the stadium hosted theUEFA Euro 1988.
With the news of the prospect of bringing the World Cup back to Germany, the city reacted and started renovation of the stadium, which was completed in 2003. Unlike previous configurations, there areno track-and-field facilities, allowing spectators to be much closer to the pitch than they might have been in a traditional continentalmulti-purpose stadium.
Thecapacity is about 50,000 people during club matches and 45,965 for international games, whenterracing is not allowed. The entire field is lit with a floodlight system. In the north grandstand there is a museum dedicated to1. FC Köln.
| Length | 220 m |
| Width | 180 m |
| Height to Roof | 33.25 m |
| Roof Area | 15,400 m2 |
The stadium was one of the venues for the2006 FIFA World Cup. However, due to sponsorship contracts, the arena was called "FIFA World Cup Stadium Cologne" during the World Cup.
The following games were played at the stadium during the World Cup of 2006:
| Date | Time (CET) | Team # | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 June 2006 | 21:00 |  Angola | 0–1 |  Portugal | Group D | 45,000 |
| 17 June 2006 | 17:00 |  Czech Republic | 0–2 |  Ghana | Group E | 45,000 |
| 20 June 2006 | 18:00 |  Sweden | 2–2 |  England | Group B | 45,000 |
| 23 June 2006 | 21:00 |  Togo | 0–2 |  France | Group G | 45,000 |
| 26 June 2006 | 21:00 |  Switzerland | 0–0 (0–3p) |  Ukraine | Round of 16 | 45,000 |
The stadium was one of the venues for theUEFA Euro 2024. However, due to sponsorship contracts, the arena was called "Cologne Stadium" during the tournament.
The following games were played at the stadium during the tournament:
| Date | Time (CEST) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 June 2024 | 15:00 |  Hungary | 1–3 | Switzerland | 41,676 | |
| 19 June 2024 | 21:00 |  Scotland | 1–1 | 42,711 | ||
| 22 June 2024 | 21:00 |  Belgium | 2–0 |  Romania | 42,535 | |
| 25 June 2024 | 21:00 | England | 0–0 |  Slovenia | 41,536 | |
| 30 June 2024 | 21:00 |  Spain | 4–1 |  Georgia | 42,233 |
The stadium is part of Sportpark Müngersdorf, adjacent to Aachener Straße. It is accessible by car via theCologne Beltway, only some 1200 m off theBundesautobahn 1. TheCologne Stadtbahn provides service atRheinEnergieStadion through the line 1.
Media related toRheinEnergieStadion at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by | UEFA Europa League Final venue 2020 | Succeeded by |
50°56′1″N6°52′30″E / 50.93361°N 6.87500°E /50.93361; 6.87500
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