 Wörthersee Stadion in June 2022 | |
 | |
| Location | Klagenfurt,Austria |
|---|---|
| Owner | City ofKlagenfurt |
| Capacity | 32,000 (league matches) 30,000 (International matches) |
| Field size | 105 x 68 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1960 |
| Demolished | 2005 |
| Rebuilt | 2006–2007 |
| Construction cost | € 66.5 million |
| Architect | Albert Wimmer |
| Tenants | |
| SK Austria Kärnten (2007–2010) SK Austria Klagenfurt (2010–present) Austria national football team | |
Wörthersee Stadion (Wörtherseestadionⓘ), known as28 Black Arena for sponsorship reasons, is amulti-purpose stadium located inKlagenfurt, Austria. It is the home ground ofAustria Klagenfurt. The stadium is situated within the Sportpark Klagenfurt campus of several other sports venues. Its name refers to the nearbyWörthersee lake.[1]
The first Wörtherseestadion was built in 1960 as the home ground of the old SK Austria Klagenfurt (the later defunctFC Kärnten), a track and field stadium with a capacity of 10,900. In 1962 the team was first promoted to theAustrian Football Bundesliga (then calledA-Liga) and until their final relegation in 1989 regularly attracted thousands of spectators. A second attempt by the FC Kärnten to enter the Bundesliga, backed by theCarinthian governorJörg Haider, was successful in 2001. The team was again relegated in 2004, nevertheless in view of the comingUEFA Euro 2008 the Carinthian government resolved upon the reconstruction of the stadium. It was demolished from 2005 and replaced by the larger Hypo-Arena, named after the sponsoringHypo Alpe-Adria-Bank International. Football matches were temporarily staged at theSportzentrum Fischl grounds.
The Hypo-Arena was one of eight stadiums hosting the 2008 European Football Championship, for which it was built to hold 32,000.[2] It was considered whether the stadium should be reduced to the capacity of 22,000 after the event. The official opening was on 7 September 2007 and hosted a friendly betweenAustria andJapan in front of 26,500 spectators. To ensure an economical percentage of seats sold, Haider had contrived the relocation of the Bundesliga teamASKÖ Pasching to Klagenfurt, where, from the 2007–08 season, it played under the nameSK Austria Kärnten until its bankruptcy in 2010. On 16 September 2009 the Carinthian government and Austrian Sport MinisterNorbert Darabos agreed to basically maintain the stadium's capacity. After the fitout it accommodates 18,000 visitors watching the Austrian Football League and 30,000 attending international matches and other major events.[3] The lower tier of the South Stand is fitted with rail seats forsafe standing. Upon the turbulences around the Hypo Group Alpe Adria, the stadium was renamed Wörtherseestadion in 2010. From August 2015 till January 2016 the upper stands were closed because of a court decision, which reduced the capacity to 12,000.[citation needed] On 21 July 2018, Wörthersee Stadion hosted a2018 International Champions Cup match betweenFC Bayern Munich andParis Saint-Germain. FC Bayern Munich won 3–1.
The Wörthersee Stadion hosted 3 matches of theUEFA Euro 2008.
| Date | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Stage | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 June 2008 |  Germany | 2–0 |  Poland | Group B | 30,461 |
| 12 June 2008 |  Croatia | 2–1 | Germany | Group B | 30,400 |
| 16 June 2008 | Croatia | 1–0 | Poland | Group B | 30,400 |
The stadium was the site ofKlaus Littmann'sFor Forest–The Unending Attraction of Nature, Austria's largest public art installation which took place from8 September to27 October 2019. The exhibition, inspired byMax Peintner's pencil drawingThe Unending Attraction of Nature from the 1970s and landscaped by architectEnzo Enea, was a 300-treeCentral Europeanforest occupying an entirefootball pitch. The project was a warning that nature in general and specifically forests might be confined to specially designated spaces if humanity continued to take it for granted. Partly funded by sponsors who each contributed€5,000, it was open to the public free of charge daily from 10am to 10pmCET. Austria Klagenfurt home matches were temporarily played at the adjacent Karawankenblick Stadion. The trees were replanted in locations near the campus following the exhibition's conclusion.[4]
In July 2022 the stadium was renamed in28 Black Arena. This is an energy drink manufacturer who sponsors Austria Klagenfurt.[5]
46°36′32″N14°16′41″E / 46.60889°N 14.27806°E /46.60889; 14.27806