Signal Iduna Park

Introduction

After two fairly random opening posts in this blog, I thought a more structured approach to the stadia that I write about might keep things fresh during the football off-season. As such, I’ll be taking a look at the home grounds of the current champions across world football. Being a fan of the Bundesliga, I thought I’d start there with Borussia Dortmund and their infamous home Signal Iduna Park.

Home to the current Bundesliga champions and the largest free-standing grandstand in Europe, Signal Iduna Park is one of a few stadia across Europe that manages to be a modern arena whilst retaining all the atmosphere of post Hillsborough all-seater stadia. Voted the best football stadium in Europe by The Times due to this mix of modernity and atmosphere.

The Westfalenstadion or as it's now known, Signal Iduna Park

Quick Stats

Location: Dortmund, Germany

Date Opened: April 1974

Capacity: 80,720 (Bundesliga Games) 65,718 (International Games)

Highest Attendance: 80,720 at multiple Bundesliga matches

Current Tenants: Borussia Dortmund

Nicknames: Westfalenstadion, The Temple of the Yellow Wall, FIFA World Cup Stadium Dortmund

Foundations

The Westfalenstadion as it was originally known was born from an idea by the city council of Dortmund that a new stadium was required for the fans of the cities then Cup Winners Cup winning Borussia Dortmund side. A new stadium was preferred to the expansion of the clubs then home ‘Stadion Rote Erde’, the remnants of which can be seen adjacent to the current home of ‘Die Schwarzgelben’ and is used for the home games of their reserve side, Borussia Dortmund II.

Following the withdrawal of Cologne as a host city for the upcoming 1974 World Cup, Dortmund was selected as a replacement. The financial issues that had delayed the construction of a new stadium by the city council were no longer as severe due to the allocation of funds from central government. The original plans for a 60,000 capacity stadium with full athletics facilities was discarded in favour of a pre-fabricated concrete section 54,000 capacity stadium. 

This pre-fabricated concrete system was chosen as it was being utilised throughout Europe at the time and was considerably cheaper than a bespoke construction method which was originally suggested. Constructed from offsite pre-fabricated steel reinforced supports and slabs, manufactured in Germanys industrial heartland in the Ruhr Valley, these were simply transported to site and erected in position. The DFB (German FA) encouraged the corners to remain open despite ‘aesthetic doubts’ so that different components would not be required for the corners.

The simple construction technique used for the Westfalenstadion, concrete slabs with terraces supported by concrete stanchions.

 Architects Planungsgruppe Drahtler were the designers of this new stadium which was completed at a cost of 32.7 million DM with 1.6 million DM being used to refurbish their previous home, the Stadion Rote Erde to allow it to be used for athletics and other events. A host stadium for the 1974 World Cup, the then Westfalenstadion hosted three group stage matches and a final group stage match. Borussia Dortmund moved into their new home on the 2^nd April 1974 when the stadium was inaugurated with a friendly against Schalke 04, as Dortmund were playing their football in the second tier of German football at the time.

The Westfalenstadion in its initial form, the basic concrete structure can be seen on the closest stand.

1990’s Renovations 

With changes to UEFA stadium regulations in the early 1990’s, the capacity was reduced from 54,000 to 42,800 due to the removal of standing rows. Seating replaced standing sections in the entire North Stand and the lower stands of the East and West Stands resulting in 26,000 seats, outnumbered the standing capacity by 9,200.

Following the club winning their fourth Bundesliga title in 1995, expansion was commissioned for the East and West stand by a private investment firm, which was a first for German football. In addition to a new roof, each stand would increase the capacity by 6,000 for 12,000 additional seats in total and returned the stadium to its original capacity of 54,000 with only 15,500 standing capacity remaining.

Construction of second tiers on the East and West stands was underway when Dortmund won two league titles during the mid-1990's.

With the club in a golden era after their appearance in the 1993 UEFA Cup final (losing 6-1 on aggregate to Juventus), two consecutive Bundesliga titles in 1995 and 1996, their crowning achievement was just around the corner. The Champions League final in Munich in the summer of 1997 would see the club gain revenge on a fine Juventus side with a 3-1 victory. Further expansion of the Westfalenstadion was required to capitalise on their success.

The second phase of expanding the original stadium was then put in motion with the North and South stands were enlarged to take the total capacity of the stadium up to 68,800. This is where the legend of the Südtribüne were born as in its current guise, it is the largest free-standing grandstand in Europe with an incredible capacity of 25,000.

Continued success saw the club expand the stadium further, increasing the North and South stands creating the infamous Südtribüne.

Renovations in the New Millennium 

Another World Cup bid for Germany, another improvement of the Westfalenstadion, this time for the 2006 World Cup. Being one of the most iconic stadia in Germany, it would be at the forefront of the hosts plans but unfortunately it did not fulfil FIFA’s criteria for hosting a World Cup semi-final. The most obvious places to increase the capacity were to enclose the stadium and fill in the corners, increasing the seating capacity to 52,000 and the overall capacity to the present day 80,720. In addition to boosting standard capacity, VIP seats and facilities were also increased within these corner sections.

The Westfalenstadion at the turn of the new millenium.

The four corner sections were constructed on driven piles to ensure minimum effects on the surrounding stands and given the layout of the original four stands, an external support structure was required to support the enclosing roof. The external steel support structure was painted in the clubs famous yellow colour and provides the stadium with its distinctive aesthetics and outline.

The infilling of the corners increased capacity to its current number and provided the yellow steel support structure that makes the stadium easily distinguishable.

Due to financial struggles of the club during the mid-2000’s, the club decided to sell the stadium in 2002 to ensure its survival. It was later sold to a real estate trust with Dortmund having the option to purchase the stadium back in component parts. The club would later complete this purchase with credit from Morgan Stanley. Helping to restructure the clubs debt, they sold the naming rights of the stadium to an insurance company who named it ‘Signal Iduna Park’ with this deal running until 2016 and providing the club with much needed funds at the time. A prerequisite of FIFA when hosing a World Cup is that they control all naming rights with anything World Cup related saw the stadium referred to as ‘FIFA World Cup Stadium Dortmund’ during the 2006 World Cup.

The iconic Signal Iduna Park with the Stadion Rote Erde visible to the right.

Despite a relatively short history, Signal Iduna Park is one of the most famous grounds in European football. Home of the current Bundesliga champions and boasting one of the fiercest atmospheres across the continent it provides the perfect platform for Dortmund to continue their struggles of the past decade.
 

A Famous Match

The 1974 World Cup is perhaps most known for the final between the Netherlands and West Germany, however a watershed moment in the project of Total Football would take place at the Westfalenstadion in the final second group stage between the Netherlands and Brazil.

A faltering Brazil had struggled to reach this point and required a win over the Netherlands to progress to the final. The much fancied Dutch however would progress with a draw but the way the side was setup this was never on the cards. In a fine advert for RinusMichel’s Total Football, the Netherlands frustrated the Brazilians who grew increasingly irritated and took their frustration out on the Dutch players.

Going into the second half at 0-0 it didn’t take long for the Dutch to turn their advantage into a lead when Johan Neeskens pounced on a pin point cross from the imperious Cruyff. The Brazilians grew more frustrated and needed two goals to progress to the final in Berlin. A sublime goal started in their own half by the Dutch just after the hour mark would put the match beyond the defending champions. A quick, devastating move from deep was finished off by Cruyff, would see the Dutch go on to contest the final but not before Luis Pereira was sent off for a terrible tackle on Neeskens. The defending champions went out in disgrace rather than honour.

A match that highlighted the skills of this great Dutch side having humbled the defending champions and would have all lovers of football back them in the final. Unfortunately, they went on to lose in agonising fashion to the hosts West Germany. 

The normally refined Brazil simply lost their heads as Total Football saw the Netherlands progress to the 1974 World Cup Final.

A Quote From Someone More Qualified Than I

“It was a difficult decision, as I am Borusse, I love Dortmund and this club, and I will always remain a Dortmunder. It made me proud to walk into this stadium as the team´s captain.”

Nuri Sahin