Red Bull Arena (Salzburg)

Red Bull Arena
Former names	Stadion Wals-Siezenheim, EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim
Location	Salzburg, Austria
Built	2001-2003
Opened	8 March 2003 (first match Austria Salzburg – FC Kärnten 1:1)
Expanded	Summer 2006 (for UEFA Euro 2008)
Owner	Stadion Wals-Siezenheim Errichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. (SWS)
Surface	lawn
Construction cost	€45 Million
Architect	Schuster Architekten (Düsseldorf), Atelier Albert Wimmer (Wien)
Capacity	30,188
Field dimensions	105 x 68 m
Tenants	FC Red Bull Salzburg, FC Liefering

The Red Bull Arena is a football stadium in Salzburg, Wals-Siezemheim. It is the home ground of F.C. Red Bull Salzburg and FC Liefering. During the Euro 2008 football championship it was one of four venues in Austria. It has a capacity of 30,188. ^[1]

History[change | change source]

The arena was built in 2003 and opened on March 8th, 2003 with a match between SV Austria Salzburg vs. FC Kärnten. The score was 1-1. It replaced the Stadion Lehen. The building is not in the city of Salzburg but in the neighbouring borough of Wals-Siezenheim. For international matches the ground is called "EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim". The architects were Schuster Architekten (Düsseldorf) and Atelier Albert Wimmer (Wien).^[2] In 2005 two video boards were erected.

At this time the capacity was around 18,000 but was expanded to over 30,000 in 2006 because the ground was used for the Euro 2008. A second balcony was built. The new stadium was presented with a match against Arsenal F.C., in which Red Bull Salzburg won 1-0. After the Euro it was decided, despite of neighbour protests, that this balcony should stay for further use by Red Bull Salzburg. The stadium was the only one in Austria with an artificial turf, but since 2010 the arena has switched to natural grass. FC Red Bull Salzburg play their games here, which was rented from another owner. Therefore, the stadium is indirectly owned by the state of Salzburg.