Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium
| Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Charilaou | |
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| Data | |
| place |
 Thessaloniki , Greece
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| Coordinates | 40 ° 35 '58 .8 " N , 22 ° 58' 10.5" E |
| owner | Aris Thessaloniki |
| operator | Aris Thessaloniki |
| opening | November 6, 1951 |
| Renovations | 2004 |
| surface | Natural grass |
| capacity | 22,800 seats |
| playing area | 105 × 68 m |
| Societies) | |
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The Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium is a football stadium in Thessaloniki , the second largest city in Greece . The Aris football club plays its home games here. The stadium was named in 2004 after Kleanthis Vikelidis , in memory of the 1946 former soccer player and Greek champion who died in 1988 at the age of 72. Before that, the stadium was simply called Gipedo Areos ( Γήπεδο Άρεως , Aris field) or Gipedo Charilaou ( Γήπεδο Χαριλάου , Charilaou field / stadium). Charilaou is the name of the district in which the stadium is located. In the vernacular , Charilaou is still popular.
history
The football stadium was opened in 1951. The expansion of the stadium has taken place gradually since its construction. In 1969 a turf was laid for the first time. In 1972 the main grandstand in the west was covered. The north stand, which is reserved for home fans, was completed in 1975.
On the occasion of the Olympic football tournaments of the 2004 Summer Olympics , modernization measures were decided. During the games, the stadium acted as a training facility.
architecture
The Charilaou is a pure football stadium without a tartan track for athletics competitions. The asymmetrical stands, which give the stadium a heterogeneous appearance , are particularly striking . The reason for this is the particularly cramped conditions around the stadium, which stand in the way of basic expansion measures. This is particularly evident in the north stand, which decreases in the number of rows from east to west. The most obvious change after the renovation in 2004 was the construction of a new main grandstand. In contrast to the old one, this has an upper tier, which is separated from the lower tier by a row of boxes.
In addition, the stadium got new seat shells, which are kept in the club colors yellow and black. In addition, the grilles in front of the grandstands, which separated the spectator tiers from the playing field, were removed and replaced with plexiglass at the point where the local fans are housed .
Coat usage
Below the main grandstand, next to the changing rooms, there is a sports hall and a sports pool , which the swimming department of Aris Thessaloniki uses as a training facility. The stadium also has a restaurant as well as cafés and catering areas for VIPs .
Statistical
- Capacity: 22,800 (excluding seats)
- Record attendance: 27,500 at the game Aris Saloniki - AEK Athens (March 11, 1979)
Web links
- stadia.gr: Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium (Greek)
- stadionwelt.de: picture gallery