Azadi Stadium

Azadi Stadium
	Azadi
	Interior of the stadium on April 13, 2013
Earlier names
	Aryamehr Stadium (1971–1979)
Data
place	Azadi Stadium Boulevard 11369 Tehran , Iran;
Coordinates	35 ° 43 '27.9 " N , 51 ° 16' 32.1" E Coordinates: 35 ° 43 '27.9 " N , 51 ° 16' 32.1" E
owner	Azadi Sport Complex
operator	Azadi Sport Complex
start of building	October 1, 1970 (laying of the foundation stone)
opening	18th October 1973
Renovations	2002, 2003, 2004, 2016
Extensions	Construction of new seats and modernizations
surface	Natural grass
costs	2,578,183,966 Toman; ( € 1,163,944 )
architect	Abdol Aziz Farmanfarmaian
capacity	78,116 seats
playing area	110 × 75 m
Societies)
	Esteghlal; Persepolis;
Events
	Games from Esteghlal; Games of Persepolis; Games of the Iranian national football team ; 1974 Asian Games; Football Asian Cup 1976; Soccer West Asian Championship 2004; Football West Asian Cup 2008;

The Azadi Stadium ( Persian ورزشگاه آزادی, Varzeshgah Azadi ), called Azadi , is a football stadium with an athletics facility in the west of the Iranian capital Tehran . It was built for the 2500th anniversary of the Iranian monarchy . The opening took place on October 18, 1971. In 1974 it was the central sports facility for the Asian Games . Since its opening, it has been used for the games of the Iranian clubs Esteghlal and Persepolis , as well as the international matches of the Iranian national football team .

The stadium is part of the Azadi sports complex in Tehran and initially had a capacity of 95,225 seats. The stadium was only sold out when there were 100,000 spectators in the Azadi. Today the space is stated with 78,116 spectators on seats. The stadium is also known for its incredible atmosphere when games are sold out.

history

The stadium from the outside

The stadium was planned for the 1974 Asian Games by the architect Abdol Aziz Farmanfarmaian and opened three years after construction began on October 18, 1971 with a closing event to mark the 2500th anniversary of the Iranian monarchy . At the opening, the stadium offered 100,000 spectators. Originally it was built in honor of Shah Reza Pahlavi Aryamehr Stadium ( Persian ورزشگاه آریامهر, Varzeshgah Āriāmehr , in English: "Stadium of Light of the Aryans") called. After the Islamic Revolution , it was found in Azadi Stadium ( Persian ورزشگاه آزادی تهران, Varzeshgah Azadi Tehrān , in English: "Stadium of Freedom") renamed. In addition to the Asian Games and the 1976 Asian Football Championship , the stadium was also to be the focus of the 1984 Summer Olympics . However, the application was withdrawn due to differences in 1977, which is why Los Angeles was the only applicant to get the games.

In 2002 and 2003 the stadium was extensively renovated. In addition to the installation of new seats, the interior was also extensively modernized. So the lawn was replaced and a lawn heating installed. In 2004 a new scoreboard was installed in the stadium, which with a size of 300 square meters is one of the largest in the world.

The stadium in western Tehran is part of the Azadi sports complex, which offers a number of training opportunities around the stadium. In addition, the sports facility was the venue for games of the West Asian Football Championship in 2004 and 2008 .

capacity

At the opening there was space for over 100,000 spectators in the Azadi. However, the renovations in 2002 and 2003 reduced the stadium's seating capacity to 95,225. Sometimes a capacity of 84,412 was later given. After the Azadi was transformed into a complete seating stadium in 2016, there are still 78,116 seats available. However, it was only considered sold out when there were 100,000 spectators in the stadium. The highest number of viewers was reached on November 22, 1997. A total of 128,000 fans supported the national team in the qualifying game for the 1998 World Cup against Australia (1-1).

Esteghlal fans celebrate the 2013 championship

Infrastructure

400 vehicles can be parked inside the stadium. In addition, there is an area in the immediate vicinity of the stadium that provides around 10,000 parking spaces for vehicles. The stadium also has a connection to the Tehran metro network .

Events

All home games of the Iranian national soccer team take place in the Azadi Stadium . It is also used as a venue for all home games of the Tehran clubs Esteghlal and Persepolis in the Persian Gulf Pro League (PGL) and the other competitions. Had the Iranian application for the 2019 Asian Football Championship been successful, the final and other games would have been played here. The stadium is also used for cultural events.

Visit by women

In May 2017, an Iranian woman who had crept into the stadium in Tehran disguised as a boy was arrested by the previously informed police. The girl wanted to see Esteghlal Tehran's game against al Ain Club in the AFC Champions League live. In Iran, women are not allowed in sports stadiums.

In 2019, the world football association FIFA threatened to exclude Iran from the 2022 World Cup in neighboring Qatar if the state continues to prohibit women from entering the stadium.

On October 10, 2019, women were able to attend a football match in a stadium in Iran for the first time in almost 40 years. They have won a victory against their discrimination by the religious guardians. The Ministry of Sports had built four separate stands for 4,000 spectators and fenced them in and provided female staff for this sector. About 3500-4000 women, happy about the success, attended the World Cup qualifier against Cambodia, which ended 14-0 for Iran. Contrary to promises, no female photo reporters were allowed. Male photographers were not allowed to depict the female visitors. Women are now calling for more and more family stands to be able to take sons and men with them and are also critical of the fencing.