TheLilleküla Stadium, known asA. Le Coq Arena for sponsorship reasons, is afootball stadium inTallinn,Estonia. It is the home ground of football clubsFlora andLevadia, and theEstonia national football team. With a capacity of 14,336, it is the largest stadium in Estonia.
![]() | |
![]() | |
Address | Jalgpalli 21 |
---|---|
Location | Tallinn, Estonia |
Coordinates | 59°25′17″N24°43′55″E / 59.42139°N 24.73194°E /59.42139; 24.73194 |
Owner | Estonian Football Association |
Operator | Estonian Football Association |
Capacity | 14,336[1] |
Field size | 105 by 68 metres (344 by 223 ft)[2] |
Construction | |
Broke ground | 2000 |
Opened | 2 June 2001; 23 years ago (2001-06-02) |
Expanded | 2016–2018 |
Construction cost | 131 millionEEK (2002) |
Architect | Haldo Oravas |
Tenants | |
FC Flora (2001–present) FCI Levadia (2019–present) Estonia national football team (2001–present)
|
Opened in 2001 and expanded in 2018, Lilleküla Stadium has hosted the2018 UEFA Super Cup and the2012 UEFA European U-19 Championship.
History
editConstruction and opening
editThe matter of building a national football stadium rose to Estonia's agenda in the second half of the 1990s, when it became evident thatKadriorg Stadium was not able to continue complying with international football standards. The stadium project was led byFC Flora and in July 1998, the club submitted a planning application to Tallinn City Council, requesting permission to build a new stadium on wasteland between railway lines inKitseküla, close to the border with neighbouringLilleküla.[3] Receiving the council's approval, Flora signed a 99-year lease on the estate and construction began in October 2000.[4] The stadium was designed by Estonian architect Haldo Oravas.
The construction of the Lilleküla Stadium was seen as a grand race against time, as the stadium had to be completed by June 2001 in order to avoid Estonia having to play its World Cup qualification home matches either inFinland orLatvia.[5] The media covered the state of the construction almost daily and the stadium received its permit on the day of Estonia's World Cup qualifying match against the Netherlands, with final seats being installed only hours before the kick-off.[5]
The stadium was officially opened on 2 June 2001, with a2002 FIFA World Cup qualification match betweenEstonia and theNetherlands. The match saw Estonia'sAndres Oper become the first player to score at the new stadium when he scored in the 65th minute, with the full-time result being a 4–2 victory for the Netherlands.
In January 2002,A. Le Coq bought the naming rights of the stadium. During the2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, the stadium hosted six out of 15 tournament matches, including the final, which sawSpain defeatGreece 1–0.
In 2012, Flora completed the transfer ownership of the Lilleküla Football Complex, including Lilleküla Stadium, to theEstonian Football Association. The deal was later revealed to have been worth over €12 million.[6]
Expansion and UEFA Super Cup
editIn September 2016, it was announced that the stadium would host the2018 UEFA Super Cup.[7][8] In preparation for the match, the stadium's capacity was increased from 10,340 to 14,336, with the total expansion cost of around €7 million.[9] The 2018 UEFA Super Cup match between the2017–18 UEFA Champions League winnersReal Madrid and the2017–18 UEFA Europa League winnersAtlético Madrid was held on 15 August 2018, with Atlético Madrid winning 4–2 in extra time.[10]
Lilleküla Football Complex
editLilleküla Stadium is part of the Lilleküla Football Complex, which also includes two grass surface pitches, twoartificial turf pitches of which one is the 1,198-seatSportland Arena, and an indoor football hall named EJL Jalgpallihall.[1]
Concerts
editAside from football and other sporting events, several concerts have been held at Lilleküla Stadium.Lenny Kravitz performed in 2005 andAerosmith in 2007.[1] In 2023, the stadium hosted the concert ofNOËP and in 2024, the concert ofMax Korzh.
Attendances
editTenants | League season | Home games | Average attendance[11] |
---|---|---|---|
FC Flora | 2024 | 18 | 694 |
FCI Levadia Tallinn | 2024 | 18 | 713 |
FC Flora | 2023 | 18 | 518 |
FCI Levadia Tallinn | 2023 | 18 | 763 |
FC Flora | 2022 | 18 | 509 |
FCI Levadia Tallinn | 2022 | 18 | 489 |
Gallery
edit- A. Le Coq Arena during December 2021
- Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid at A. Le Coq Arena
- The stadium before Flora vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
References
edit- ^abc"A. Le Coq Arena" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. Retrieved15 August 2018.
- ^"A. Le Coq Arena staadion".Eesti spordiregister (in Estonian). Retrieved15 August 2018.
- ^"Prügimäest saab staadion" [Waste ground will become a stadium].Postimees (in Estonian). 25 July 1998.
- ^"FC Flora rajab Lillekülasse jalgpallistaadioni" [FC Flora will build a football stadium in Lilleküla].Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). 19 October 2000.
- ^abSchwede, Indrek (10 October 2019)."RETRO! Kuidas valmis Lilleküla staadion? Jüri Mõis: "Armee ja jalgpall on riigile võrdse tähtsusega."" [RETRO! How was the Lilleküla stadium finished? Jüri Mõis: "The army and football are of equal importance to the country."].Õhtuleht.
- ^Roonemaa, Holger; Kalev, Matthias (26 October 2021)."Kustutatud laenud, tasumata intressid ja 12 miljonit sulas: saladokumendid paljastavad, kuidas Aivar Pohlak jalgpalliliidu rahaga FC Florat päästis" [Deleted loans, unpaid interest and 12 million in cash: secret documents reveal how Aivar Pohlak saved FC Flora with football association money].Eesti Ekspress.
- ^"Final of 2018 UEFA Super Cup to take place in Tallinn".ERR. 16 September 2016.
- ^"Tallinn to stage 2018 UEFA Super Cup".UEFA. 8 August 2017.
- ^"VIDEO I Ligi 7 miljonit eurot hiljem: jalgpalli tippsündmuseks valmistuv Lilleküla staadion on võimsa uuenduskuuri läbinud" [VIDEO I Nearly 7 million euros later: the Lilleküla stadium, which is preparing for the top football event, has undergone a powerful renovation].Delfi Sport. 13 August 2018.
- ^"Atlético win UEFA Super Cup in extra time".UEFA. 16 August 2018.
- ^https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/nav/attnest.htm
External links
edit- Lilleküla Stadium at Estonian Football Association(in Estonian)
- Lilleküla Stadium at FC Flora(in Estonian)
Preceded by | UEFA Super Cup Match venue 2018 | Succeeded by |