Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Multi-purpose stadium in Leopoldstadt, Austria.
Ernst-Happel-Stadion is a football stadium with an athletics facility in Leopoldstadt, Vienna. Its oval bowl has tiered seating in yellow, blue and red around a rectangular pitch, and a white steel lattice ring carries a roof that covers the stands but leaves the field open. A curved colonnade of grey concrete pillars forms the base, and dense trees surround the ground.
The foundation stone was laid in November 1928, and the stadium was built in 23 months to a design by Otto Ernst Schweizer, opening on 11 July 1931 as the Praterstadion. In September 1939 more than a thousand Polish-born Viennese Jews were held in the corridors of Sector B, and 1,038 were deported to Buchenwald. It was renamed after Ernst Happel in 1992 and hosted seven matches of Euro 2008, including the final.
The stadium was renamed in 1992 after Ernst Happel (1925–1992), the Austrian player and coach who died that year; before that it was known as Praterstadion, after its site in the Prater. Fans still use the short form 'Happel'. The stadium also hosts concerts, when up to 19,000 extra seats are placed on the pitch.
The U2 metro line stops at Stadion station, placing visitors just a few minutes' walk from the entrance gates. On event days, crowds gather in the surrounding park, so arriving early helps avoid congestion near the access points.
Spain defeated Germany here in the 2008 European Championship final, launching a period of dominance that saw the Spanish national team win three consecutive major tournaments. That evening marked the beginning of a new era in international football, watched by supporters from across Europe.
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