Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium | |
Former names | Silahtar Ağa Sahası Papazın Çayırı Union Club Field İttihat Spor Field Fenerbahçe Stadyumu |
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Location | Kızıltoprak, Kadıköy, Istanbul |
Coordinates | 40°59′15.7″N 29°02′13.3″E / 40.987694°N 29.037028°ECoordinates: 40°59′15.7″N 29°02′13.3″E / 40.987694°N 29.037028°E |
Owner | Fenerbahçe S.K. |
Operator | Fenerbahçe S.K. |
Executive suites | 64 |
Capacity | 47,834 (all-seater) |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Opened | 1908 |
Renovated | 1929–1932, 1965–1982, 1999 – 2006 |
Construction cost |
$85 million ($101 million in 2016 dollars) |
Architect | Zehra Aksu, Adnan Aksu |
Tenants | |
Fenerbahçe S.K. |
The Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈʃycɾy saɾaˈdʒoːɫu]), also officially known as Ülker Stadium Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Sports Complex or simply Ülker Stadium due to sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey, and is the home venue of Fenerbahçe S.K. It was inaugurated in 1908 and renovated between 1929 and 1932, 1965 and 1982, and 1999 and 2006. On October 4, 2006, after numerous inspections by UEFA, Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium was selected to host the 2009 UEFA Cup Final that went down to history as the last Final of the UEFA Cup football tournament, which was replaced by the UEFA Europa League starting from the 2009–10 season.
The stadium has gone through a complete rebuilding process which involved each stand being demolished and rebuilt in turn. Each stand has been built closer to the pitch, getting the fans closer to the action on the field. This style of the stadium has never previously existed in Turkey, as the stands are usually separated from the pitch by a running track.
The "Maraton" stand can hold up to 14,500 supporters. The stand includes "Boxes" (or Lodges) which are rented out from the club on a yearly basis. These boxes are fully equipped with TV screens, the Internet, working and meeting areas, dining facilities, and many other luxuries; as the first and most luxurious of their kind in Turkey. Facing the Maraton stand, at the opposite side, is the "Fenerium" stand (named after the official chain of Fenerbahçe merchandise stores) with an all-seated capacity of 15,000 and the luxurious "1907" zone. There are also equally luxurious boxes and lodges here. Apart from the boxes section of this stand, every single seat has an LCD monitor behind the chair, for every supporter to follow the game from the live coverage and catch the replays. Including the two remaining stands behind the goal areas, namely the "Migros" and "Telsim" stands (named after the sponsors of each Tribune's construction projects), which both have a seating capacity of 10,500, the total official capacity of the stadium is 50,509.