Giorgi Shermadini

An UEFA elite stadium is a football stadium that is is included in the UEFA Elite Stadium List. This list is a ranking of stadia compiled by UEFA's Stadia and Security Committee that ranks stadia according to their ability to accommodate large events. Each stadium is given a star rating. The rating system is primarily designed to ensure stadia are suitable and safe to hold UEFA finals, such as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and UEFA European Football Championship finals. The strictness of safety and security requirements and their enforcement can be attributed to UEFA's drive to improve stadium standards for major showpiece events following the Heysel Stadium disaster at the 1985 European Cup final and subsequent heavy criticism of UEFA over the selection of Heysel Stadium.

5 Star rating

Geographical distribution of the UEFA 5-star (in red) and 4-Star (in blue) Stadia

A 5-star rating enables a stadium to host the finals of the UEFA European Football Championship and UEFA Champions League. They can also host finals of the UEFA Cup. All have seated capacities in excess of 50,000 spectators and meet a number of additional quality criteria.

4-star rated stadia (capacity over 30,000 spectators) may host the final of the UEFA Cup.

There are several grounds which may meet the 5-star criteria but are yet to be formally approved, or have yet to seek approval, by UEFA. One example is the new Wembley Stadium, the second largest in Europe, which is currently under consideration by UEFA for the 2011 Champions League final. In addition, Arsenal F.C.'s Emirates Stadium is under consideration for the UEFA Cup final in 2011. Decisions on both, and their UEFA star rating, will be made after inspection in March 2008. At present Old Trafford remains the only formally recognised 5-star stadium in England.

Celtic Park has a UEFA 5-star rating rating [1] and has also been informally described as 5-star by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

It is unlikely, following the election of Michel Platini as UEFA President, that in the immediate future stadia with a capacity less than 70,000 will be considered for the UEFA Champions League Final. This is as a result of security issues at the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final. This would rule out a number of 5-star rated grounds from hosting the final.

Criteria for rating

• Minimum seating capacity of 50,000 (5-star venues) / 30,000 (4-star venues) – individual seats with backrests. (Venues that still have individual seats without proper backrests will still continue to be accepted. In the future, however, closer attention will be paid to this aspect, and which will influence the committee’s decision regarding the addition of venues to these list categories.)
• Pitch dimensions of 105 x 68 m. The field of play must be in pristine condition and be prepared accordingly for a final (quality of grass, irrigation, smooth surface, etc.).
• Protective fences around the field of play are not acceptable. Venues which have such installations will not be included on the list.
• Sufficient room around the field of play for advertising boards and at least 18 TV cameras. In addition, there must be enough room between the goals and the first row of spectator seats behind both goals for a minimum of 150 photographers.
• First-rate dressing-rooms for both teams and the referees (equal size and furnishings for both teams, spacious, bright and clean).
• Suitable and appropriately equipped drug-testing room.
• Floodlighting of a minimum intensity of 1,400 lux (eV) in the direction of the main camera, and of 1,000 Lux (eV) towards the other areas of the stadium, plus an efficient emergency power supply able to provide, without interruption, the same luminous light intensity as the main lighting.
• Modern security installations (access monitoring system, adequate PA system, etc.).
• A permanent TV surveillance system in colour that is able to monitor the movement of spectators, as well as their behaviour inside and outside the stadium. This installation must also be able to produce still shots of any troublemakers, which can then be distributed immediately to the security officers / stewards in the stadium.
• Clear signage that everyone can understand inside and outside the stadium, as well as in its immediate vicinity.
• Suitable covered seats for disabled spectators and their accompanying persons (minimum of two sectors with at least 50 places each). The areas for disabled spectators must be adequately equipped with toilet facilities and a refreshment bar.
• Acceptable sanitary facilities for spectators (both sexes) in terms of numbers, cleanliness and standards. Toilets without seats will no longer be accepted for spectators of either sex.
• Provision of first-rate media facilities in terms of camera positions, working places, TV studios, etc., in accordance with the “UEFA Guidelines for Media Facilities”.
• Adequate first-class facilities must be provided for VIPs, including a minimum of 150 places in the Honorary Tribune VIP box.
• International airport(s) able to cope with the huge extra demands of a UEFA final (capacity for up to 60 charter flights per day in addition to the normal, scheduled flights)
• Adequate hotel accommodation. For UEFA and its partners, at least 1,000 five-star hotel rooms (UEFA Champions League) / 500 rooms (UEFA Cup) are needed. In addition, enough other hotel accommodation in all types of category must be available.

See also

• List of European stadia by capacity

References

• fussballtempel.net