Wankdorf Stadium | |
 The stadium during demolition in 2001 | |
 Interactive map of Wankdorfstadion | |
| Location | Papiermühlestrasse 71 CH-3014Bern |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 22,000–64,000 (football) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1925 |
| Opened | 18 October 1925 |
| Closed | 7 July 2001 |
| Demolished | 3 August 2001 |
| Tenants | |
| BSC Young Boys (1925–2001) | |
Wankdorf Stadium (German:Wankdorfstadion,pronounced[ˈvaŋkdɔʁfˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn]ⓘ) was afootballstadium inBern, Switzerland, and the home of Swiss clubBSC Young Boys. Built in 1925, it hosted the finals of the1954 FIFA World Cup, the1960–61 European Cup, and the1988–89 European Cup Winners' Cup.
The stadium was demolished in 2001, and replaced in 2005 by theStadion Wankdorf on the same site.
The original Wankdorf stadium was opened in 1925 after a construction period of seven months. It had a capacity of 22,000, of which 1,200 covered seats and covered standing room for another 5,000 people. The first international match took place on 8 November 1925; 18,000 spectators witnessed the 2–0 victory of the Swiss national team against Austria.
From 1933 to 1939, the stadium was gradually enlarged with an additional training field and finally the construction ofbleachers across from the grandstand, increasing the capacity to 42,000. For the1954 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was demolished and a new one with a capacity of 64,000 spectators (on 8,000 seats and standing room for 56,000) was inaugurated shortly before the tournament began. On 4 July 1954, the legendary "Miracle of Bern", the unexpected 3–2 victory of the German team over the Hungarians in the final, made the stadium an icon of football history.
The stadium saw two more major finals: in 1961, the final of theEuropean Cup was played in the Wankdorf stadium.S.L. Benfica won 3–2 againstFC Barcelona on 31 May. In 1989, the stadium was the venue of thefinal of theCup Winners' Cup: on 10 May,FC Barcelona won 2–0 againstU.C. Sampdoria.
The stadium was demolished in 2001, and a new stadium was constructed in its place. The last match in the stadium was played on 7 July 2001; Young Boys played 1–1 against the team ofLugano in a match in theSwiss Super League. The finalblasting of the derelict edifice occurred on 3 August 2001.
The newStade de Suisse, Wankdorf, opened in summer 2005 and was one of the venues forEuro 2008.
The bandMuse credits Wankdorf stadium as inspiring the aptly named 'Wankdorf Jam'.[citation needed]
Wankdorf Stadium hosted five games of the 1954 FIFA World Cup, including the final matches.
| Date | Time (UTC+01) | Team No. 1 | Res. | Team No. 2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 June 1954 | 18:00 |  Uruguay | 2–0 |  Czechoslovakia | Group 3 | 20,500 |
| 17 June 1954 | 18:00 |  West Germany | 4–1 |  Turkey | Group 2 | 28,000 |
| 20 June 1954 | 17:10 |  England | 2–0 |  Switzerland | Group 4 | 43,119 |
| 27 June 1954 | 17:00 |  Hungary | 4–2 |  Brazil | Quarter-finals | 40,000 |
| 4 July 1954 | 17:00 | West Germany | 3–2 | Hungary | Final | 62,500 |
| Preceded by | FIFA World Cup Final venue 1954 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | European Cup Final venue 1961 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | European Cup Winners' Cup Final venue 1989 | Succeeded by |
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| Home stadium |
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| 1960s |
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46°57′46″N7°27′54″E / 46.96278°N 7.46500°E /46.96278; 7.46500
