Donbas Arena facts for kids
|
|
| Location | Donetsk, Ukraine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 48°1′15″N 37°48′35″E / 48.02083°N 37.80972°E |
| Owner | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Operator | Donbas Arena |
| Capacity | 52,187 |
| Field size | 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 27 June 2006 |
| Opened | 29 August 2009 |
| Closed | 2014 (due to war in Donbas) |
| Construction cost | ₴ 545 million |
| Architect | Arup Sports |
| General contractor | ENKA |
| Tenants | |
| Shakhtar Donetsk (2009–2014) | |
The Donbas Arena is a large football stadium in Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine. It opened on August 29, 2009. This stadium has a natural grass field and can hold 52,187 people. It was once the home stadium for the Shakhtar Donetsk football team. The Donbas Arena also hosted some important matches during the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament.
The stadium is in the middle of Donetsk, in a park called Lenin Comsomol. Building it cost about $400 million. Sadly, the stadium has been closed since May 2014 because of a conflict in the Donbas region.
The name "Donbas" comes from "Donets Basin," which is a big industrial area in Ukraine. It's a shortened way to say "Donetskyi Bassein" in Ukrainian.
Contents
Building the Donbas Arena
Work on the Donbas Arena started in 2006. A Turkish company called ENKA was in charge of building it. About 1,600 skilled workers, mostly from Turkey, helped construct the stadium. It was finished and opened in 2009.
Stadium Design and Look
The Donbas Arena was designed by a company called ArupSport. They also designed other famous stadiums, like the Allianz Arena in Germany. The stadium has a unique design with a roof that looks like a "flying saucer." It has an oval shape and shiny glass walls.
The roof slopes down from north to south. This design helps the grass field get natural light and air. At night, special lights make the stadium glow, which looks really cool! The designers also made sure to protect the trees around the stadium.
Grand Opening of the Stadium
The Donbas Arena was finished early, but its big opening party was held on August 29, 2009. This date was special because it was both Ukrainian Miners Day and Donetsk City Day. Donetsk is in the Donbas region, which is known for mining.
The famous American singer Beyoncé performed at the opening night. It was her first time performing in Ukraine. She sang her hit song "Halo" to remember Michael Jackson, whose birthday was on that same day. Many important people attended the show. The opening ceremony was even named "Event of the Year" at the Stadium Business Awards in 2010.
First Football Matches
The first football match at the Donbas Arena was on September 27, 2009. The home team, Shakhtar Donetsk, won 4–0 against FC Obolon Kyiv. The first international game was on November 18, 2009, when Ukraine played against Greece. Ukraine lost that game, which meant they didn't qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Hosting UEFA Euro 2012
The Donbas Arena was chosen as one of the stadiums for the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament. This big event was hosted by Poland and Ukraine. The stadium hosted several group stage games, one quarter-final, and one semi-final match. Unlike some other stadiums built for the tournament, the Donbas Arena was already planned before Euro 2012 was announced.
Euro 2012 Matches Played Here
Here are some of the exciting matches played at the Donbas Arena during Euro 2012:
| Date | Team #1 | Score | Team #2 | Round | Goal Scorer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 11, 2012 |  France |
1–1 |  England |
Group D | Joleon Lescott Samir Nasri |
| June 15, 2012 | France |
2–0 |  Ukraine |
Group D | Jérémy Ménez Yohan Cabaye |
| June 19, 2012 | England |
1–0 | Ukraine |
Group D | Wayne Rooney |
| June 23, 2012 |  Spain |
2–0 | France |
Quarter-final | Xabi Alonso (2) |
| June 27, 2012 |  Portugal |
0–0 (aet) (2–4 p) |
Spain |
Semi-final | — |
More Than Just Football
The Donbas Arena was designed to be used for more than just football games. It has three restaurants, a lounge, a fan cafe, and many fast-food places. There are also shops, a fitness center, and special corporate boxes.
The stadium could host many different events, like presentations, press conferences, parties, and concerts. You could even take a tour of the stadium to see the players' rooms and the FC Shakhtar Museum. There was also a shop to buy souvenirs.
The stadium even inspired a map in the video game Call of Duty: Warzone. This map showed parts of Donetsk, including the stadium.
The Stadium During Conflict
Since 2014, the Donbas Arena has been affected by conflict in the region. On May 20, 2014, a "Peace March" was held at the stadium to protest the violence.
Later, in August and October 2014, the stadium was damaged by shelling. Parts of the building were hit, and glass panels fell. Because of the danger, the Shakhtar Donetsk football club had to move. They played their home games at different stadiums far away from Donetsk. First, they moved to Arena Lviv in western Ukraine, and then to Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv. The club's offices and training also moved to Kyiv.
The Donbas Arena has been closed and unused since the team had to leave. In March 2022, during a larger conflict in Ukraine, the stadium suffered more damage.
Fun Facts About Donbas Arena
- The stadium uses a mix of natural grass (about 7,668 square meters) and some artificial turf.
- The total area of the construction site was very large, over 250,000 square meters.
- The stadium stands 54 meters tall from the field to the top of its roof.
- There are 227 restrooms with 471 toilets and 333 sinks!
- Over 120,000 cubic meters of concrete were used to build the stadium.
- About 4,300 tons of steel were used for the main structure.
- Another 3,800 tons of steel were used just for the roof.
- The total area of glass on the stadium is about 24,000 square meters.
- The seating areas cover about 70,000 square meters.
- The football field itself is 105 meters long and 68 meters wide.
See also
In Spanish: Donbass Arena para niños
