Ernst-Happel-Stadion

Ernst-Happel-Stadion
Former names	Praterstadion
Location	Vienna, Austria
Owner	City of Vienna
Operator	Wiener Stadthalle Betriebs- und Veranstaltungsgesellschaft m.b.H.
Capacity	53,008
Field size	105 x 68 m
Surface	lawn
Construction
Built	1929 -1931
Opened	11 July 1931
Expanded	1945, 1956, 1965, 1984–1986, 2005–2008 (for the UEFA Euro 2008)
Architect	Otto Ernst Schweizer (Tübingen)
Tenants
	Austrian football national team, FK Austria Wien and SK Rapid Wien (only for UEFA matches)

The Ernst-Happel-Stadion is a football stadium in Vienna, Austria. The Ernst Happel Stadium is the largest football stadium in Austria. It is the home of the Austrian national football team. Club football matches are limited to the Austrian cup final and international competitions with one of Vienna's top clubs, FK Austria Wien and SK Rapid Wien, as their homegrounds are too small for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup matches. Local derbies between FK Austria and SK Rapid have also been played in the stadium. In 2014, it became the official homeground of SK Rapid Wien because their stadium was being rebuilt.

History

The stadium was built between 1929 and 1931. It was used and opend for the second Workers' Olympiad 1931. The capacity of the stadium was approximately 60,000 people. The first match in the new stadium was a match between a selection from workers sportclubs from Lower Austria and Vienna. (2:3).

During the occupation of Austria by Nazi Germany it was used as barracks and also as collecting point for Viennese Jews. In 2003 a private plaque was created in the VIP area to remind on this incidents. In 1944 the stadium was bombed and heavily demaged.

After the Second World war the stadium was reconstructed. 1956 the capacity was extended to 92,708 people.The record was 91,000 visitors on October 30, 1960 at the football match between Spain and Austria (3-0). After the death of former Austrian top player and coach Ernst Happel, the Prater Stadium was renamed after him in 1992.

UEFA Euro 2008

The Ernst-Happel-Stadion hosted 7 games of Euro 2008: 3 group games of the Austrian team, two quarter-finals, one semi-final and the final.

Date	Time (CET)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Spectators
8 June 2008	18.00	Austria	0 – 1	Croatia	Group B	51,428
12 June 2008	20.45	Austria	1 >– 1	Poland	Group B	51,428
16 June 2008	20.45	Austria	0 – 1	Germany	Group B	51,428
20 June 2008	20.45	Croatia	1 – 1 aet (1 – 3 pen.)	Turkey	quarter-finals	51,428
22 June 2008	20.45	Spain	0 – 0 aet (4 – 2 pen.)	Italy	quarter-finals	48,000
26 June 2008	20.45	Russia	0 – 3	Spain	semi-final	51,428
29 June 2008	20.45	Germany	0 – 1	Spain	final	51,428