Parken Stadion Copenhagen is the smallest of the eleven EURO 2021 venues, but has a long history.
The Parken Stadium in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen is the smallest of the eleven EURO 2021 venues, but can look back on a long history compared to some of the more recently built stadiums.
With a population of just over 5.8 million, Denmark is one of the dwarfs of this year’s European Football Championship. It is therefore not surprising that the Parken Stadium in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen, which along with the Kretowski Stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, will be one of the two venues for Group B and a round of 16 match, is one of the smallest stadiums in the tournament, or rather the smallest. The Danish fans will be relatively indifferent to this. On the other hand, they can be pleased that they will be able to cheer on their national team live in three of the group matches on home soil and in familiar surroundings, provided they can get their hands on one of the coveted tickets. What’s more, the stadium is centrally located in the Østerbro district.
The history of Parken Stadium dates back to 1911. Originally known as Københavns Idrætspark, the stadium was opened on May 25, 1911 with a match between a selection of the two local clubs Kjøbenhavns Boldklub and B.93 Copenhagen against the legendary Premier League club Sheffield Wednesday. From the very beginning, the stadium served as a venue for the Danish national team and from 1955 to 1990 as the venue for the Danish Cup final. Idrætspark originally had a capacity of around 15,000 spectators, but over the years the stands were gradually extended and expanded due to increased public interest. In 1955, the total capacity was increased to 52,000 spectators with the construction of a new main stand. It should be noted, however, that this was mainly standing room.
In addition to its original use as a sports arena, Idrætspark was increasingly used as a venue for concerts. However, as the ageing building only had limited infrastructure, such as catering and toilets, the decision was made at the end of the 1980s to radically rebuild the stadium. Before the stadium was largely demolished in 1990 – only the main stand remained partially intact – Idrætspark hosted a final match between Denmark and Yugoslavia on November 14, 1990, which the hosts Denmark won 3:2.
The basic concept of the conversion and new building was to radically rebuild and modernize the existing Idrætspark. In the underlying design, the pitch and stands were rotated by 90 degrees and flanking office buildings were placed in the corners between the longitudinal and transverse stands. The design of the stadium was inspired by the stadiums built for the 1990 World Cup in Italy and conveys an impression of density and intimacy. The uppermost seats are only 32 meters from the ground and the distance to the pitch is a maximum of 100 meters.
The two firms involved in the project were Gert Andersson and C.F. Møller Architects. While Gert Andersson was responsible for planning the stadium itself, C.F. Møller Architects were responsible for the office buildings. During the construction period, the stadium was the second largest construction site in Denmark, surpassed only by another major project – the Great Belt Bridge. The new stadium, now known as Parken, or at times as Telia Parken thanks to a sponsorship agreement, was opened with a friendly match between the Danish national team and the German team, which the Germans won 2:1.
The car park has 38,000 seats. During concerts, up to 50,000 visitors can be accommodated due to additional standing room in the interior. An additional conversion measure took place in 2001 in the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest 2001. An 8,000 square meter roof was installed for the event. This consists of 13 sliding steel truss girders and twelve 92 x seven meter inflatable textile membrane cushions and can be opened or closed within 30 minutes. When closed, the interior can be fully heated and air-conditioned. In 2009, the stadium was given a new north stand with 4,000 VIP seats. With the demolition of the old stand, the last relic of the old Idrætspark disappeared at the same time. The lower section of the new stand can be moved forwards and backwards to create more space inside the stadium.
In addition to several large halls that are used for conferences, banquets and other celebrations, the stadium also houses the official FC Copenhagen fan store.
During a qualifying match for Euro 2008, the Danish national team faced Sweden in the park on June 2, 2007. After Denmark’s Chris Poulsen was sent off by the referee following an unsporting foul, a Danish “fan” stormed onto the pitch shortly before the final whistle and attacked the referee. The referee then stopped the match and awarded the victory to the Swedes. In addition to a fine, the Danes were not allowed to play their next two matches near Copenhagen. A radius of 140 kilometers was set as the distance.
The matches of the European Championship 2021 at Parken Stadion Copenhagen
On 12.06.2021 at 6 pm, the national teams Denmark and Finland will open the European Championship 2021 at Parken Stadion Copenhagen. On 17.06.2021, the Danish team will play against the team from Belgium at 6 pm. At 9 pm on 21.06.2021 they will face Russia at home in the Parken Stadium. The round of 16 of the EURO 2021 will take place on 28.06.2021 at 6 pm. The runners-up of Group D and E will face each other.
Find out more about the Rome Olympic Stadium, where the 2021 European Championships opened. Here you can find the overview of the EURO 2021 stadiums.
