Ivaylo Stadium, Football stadium in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.
Ivaylo Stadium is a multi-purpose sports ground in Veliko Tarnovo, home of Etar Veliko Tarnovo, with a capacity of 18,000. It was built between 1954 and 1958 and opened on 24 May 1958. Its 110-metre roof is the longest in Bulgaria, and the complex includes an athletics track and indoor sports halls.
Construction ran from 1954 to 1958, and the ground opened on 24 May 1958 with a friendly between Etar and Slavia (0:3) in pouring rain. For eleven years it had no name and was simply called the City Stadium; on 24 April 1969 the city council named it Ivaylo. Floodlights were switched on 8 May 1984, when Etar beat Malta 3:0.
The stadium has been Etar Veliko Tarnovo's home ground since its opening match on 24 May 1958, a 0:3 friendly against Slavia played in pouring rain before packed stands. It has also hosted Bulgarian national team fixtures, including a 1:0 win over Romania on 12 May 1976 and a 2:0 friendly win over East Germany on 16 November 1982.
The stadium is a multi-purpose sports complex: the athletics track was rebuilt to International Athletics Federation standards and reopened on 10 September 2015, and the indoor athletics hall opened in 2016. The 110-metre canopy over the stands is the longest in Bulgaria.
The venue achieved its record attendance of 40,000 spectators in 1969 during a match between Etar and Levski Sofia, far exceeding its current official capacity.
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