59°58′22.8″N 30°13′13.8″E / 59.973000°N 30.220500°E / 59.973000; 30.220500 Krestovsky Stadium, known as Gazprom Arena for sponsorship reasons[1] (Russian: «Газпром Арена»), is a retractable roof stadium with a retractable pitch in the western portion of Krestovsky Island in Saint Petersburg, Russia, which serves as home for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.[2] The stadium was opened in 2017 for the FIFA Confederations Cup.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Gazprom Arena
Map
LocationFutbol'naya Alleya 1, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Public transitLine 3 (Saint Petersburg Metro) Nevsko–Vasileostrovskaya Line

Zenit Station
Line 5 (Saint Petersburg Metro) Frunzensko–Primorskaya Line

Krestovsky Ostrov Station
OwnerSaint Petersburg City Administration
OperatorFC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Capacity67,800[9][10]
64,468 (2018 FIFA World Cup)[11][12]
80,000 (concerts)[13]
Record attendance71,381 (Channel One Cup, Russia v. Finland, 16 December 2018)[14]
Field size105 x 68 m
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundLate 2008
Built29 December 2016 (commissioning)
Opened22 April 2017
Construction cost 43 billion
597 million
$ 660 million
ArchitectKisho Kurokawa
Project managerКБ ВиПС (KB ViPS) (https://kbvips.ru/)
Tenants
FC Zenit St. Petersburg (2017–present)
Russia national football team (selected matches)
Website
gazprom-arena.com

It is called Saint Petersburg Stadium during major international tournaments, including the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup,[15] 2018 FIFA World Cup,[16] and UEFA Euro 2020.[17] It was to host the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final, but as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, UEFA moved the final out of Russia[18][19] and to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.[20][21]

History

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The stadium was built as one of the venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The competition between architectural projects was won by Kisho Kurokawa's "The Spaceship".[22] The design of the stadium is a modified and enlarged version of Toyota Stadium in Toyota City, Japan, which was also designed by Kurokawa. The stadium was built on the location where the former Kirov Stadium used to stand before it was demolished.[23] The capacity of 56,196 seats was increased to 68,000 seats for the World Cup. It also has 104 luxuriously designed skyboxes.[24]

In 2005 the planning of the stadium began. Initial construction work began in late 2008.[25]

In January 2009 The St. Petersburg Times reported that the project was now to be funded by the city government of St Petersburg, with Gazprom switching to build a separate skyscraper project. The City Hall had to step in after Gazprom declined to invest any further money into the stadium's construction.[26] Before the stadium was named Sankt Petersburg in October 2015, it was known under the names Zenit Arena, Gazprom Arena and Piter Arena.[24][27]

On 25 July 2016 the general contractor, Inzhtransstroy-Spb, issued a statement that the city authorities have failed to pay 1 billion rubles ($15.8 million at the current exchange rate) worth of construction work and stopped the work. The next day the contract was terminated. On 1 August there were reports of wind damage to parts of the metal sheathing, and a flood.

In the end of August 2016, the new general contractor, Metrostroy, resumed construction works on the site.[28]

In April 2017 the work on the stadium was completed. The total cost of the stadium amounted to 24 billion rubles.[29] The first official match held at the stadium was the Russian Premier League game between FC Zenit Saint Petersburg and FC Ural on 22 April 2017. Branislav Ivanović scored the first goal in the stadium's history.[citation needed]

On 17 June 2017, the first game of 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was held on the stadium with the Group A match between the host Russia and New Zealand.[3]

On 2 July 2017, the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup Final was held at the stadium between Chile and Germany,[30] becoming the most attended match of the tournament and also setting the record attendance for the stadium.[citation needed]

On 15 February 2018 the government of Saint Petersburg signed a contract for the rights and use of the stadium with Zenit Arena LLC, which is a subsidiary of JSC football club Zenit.[31][32]

On 16 December 2018 the stadium hosted a Channel One Cup ice hockey match between Russia and Finland. 71,381 spectators attended the game, setting a record attendance for domestic ice hockey and the stadium overall.[14]

On 2 August 2019 Rammstein played a concert at the stadium as part of their stadium tour.[33]

After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was announced that the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final would be moved from the Gazprom Arena to the Stade de France.

The stadium under construction in 2016; the stadium during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup Final

2017 FIFA Confederations Cup

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Date Time Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
17 June 2017 18:00   Russia 2–0   New Zealand Group A 50,251[34]
22 June 2017 18:00   Cameroon 1–1   Australia Group B 35,021[35]
24 June 2017 18:00   New Zealand 0–4   Portugal Group A 56,290[36]
2 July 2017 21:00   Chile 0–1   Germany Final 57,268[37]

2018 FIFA World Cup

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Saint Petersburg was one of the host venues, seven matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Date Time Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
15 June 2018 18:00   Morocco 0–1   Iran Group B 62,548[38]
19 June 2018 21:00   Russia 3–1   Egypt Group A 64,468[39]
22 June 2018 15:00   Brazil 2–0   Costa Rica Group E 64,468[40]
26 June 2018 21:00   Nigeria 1–2   Argentina Group D 64,468[41]
3 July 2018 17:00   Sweden 1–0    Switzerland Round of 16 64,042[42]
10 July 2018 21:00   France 1–0   Belgium Semi-final 64,286[43]
14 July 2018 17:00   Belgium 2–0   England Third place match 64,406[44]

UEFA Euro 2020

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On 19 September 2014, it was announced by UEFA that the stadium was chosen to host four UEFA Euro 2020 finals fixtures, three group games and a quarter-final match. On 23 April 2021, the stadium was given three additional group stage matches in Group E (Poland vs. Slovakia, Sweden vs. Slovakia and Sweden vs. Poland) following the removal of the Aviva Stadium in Dublin as a Euro 2020 host city due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland.[45]

Date Time Team #1 Score Team #2 Round Attendance
12 June 2021 21:00   Belgium 3–0   Russia Group B 26,264[46]
14 June 2021 18:00   Poland 1–2   Slovakia Group E 12,862[47]
16 June 2021 15:00   Finland 0–1   Russia Group B 24,540[48]
18 June 2021 15:00   Sweden 1–0   Slovakia Group E 11,525[49]
21 June 2021 21:00   Finland 0–2   Belgium Group B 18,545[50]
23 June 2021 18:00   Sweden 3–2   Poland Group E 14,252[51]
2 July 2021 19:00    Switzerland 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(1–3 p)
  Spain Quarter-finals 24,764[52]

UEFA Champions League Matches

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On 24 September 2019, UEFA announced that the stadium would host the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final.[53] However, due to adjustments of the 2020 final caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, their hosting time was pushed back a year to 2022.[54] As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, UEFA called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee,[18][19] and the next day, UEFA confirmed that the final would be moved to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.[20][21]

Date Time (MSK) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
2 October 2019 22:00   Zenit Saint Petersburg 3–1   Benfica Group G 51,683
5 November 2019 20:55 0–2   RB Leipzig 50,452
27 November 2019 20:55 2–0   Lyon 51,183
20 October 2020 19:55 1–2   Club Brugge Group F 16,682
4 November 2020 20:55 1–1   Lazio 17,427
8 December 2020 20:55 1–2   Borussia Dortmund 10,860
29 September 2021 19:45 4–0   Malmö FF Group H 15,339
20 October 2021 22:00 0–1   Juventus 18,717
8 December 2021 19:45 3–3   Chelsea 29,349

UEFA Europa League Matches

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Date Time (MSK) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
3 August 2017 20:00   Zenit Saint Petersburg 0-1   Bnei Yehuda Third qualifying round 45,670
24 August 2017 20:00 2-0 (a.e.t.)   FC Utrecht Qualifying round play-offs 49,237
28 September 2017 20:00 3-1   Real Sociedad Group L 50,487
19 October 2017 20:00 3-1   Rosenborg BK 46,211
23 November 2017 21:00 2-1   FK Vardar 38,196
22 February 2018 21:00 3-0   Celtic FC Round of 32 50,492
15 March 2018 21:00 1-1   RB Leipzig Round of 16 44,092
23 August 2018 19:00 3-1   Molde FK Qualifying round play-offs 40,677
4 October 2018 19:55 1-0   Slavia Prague Group C 45,408
25 October 2018 19:55 2-1   FC Bordeaux 45,723
25 October 2018 20:55 1-0   FC Copenhagen 45,199
21 February 2019 20:55 1-0   Fenerbahçe Round of 32 50,448
7 March 2019 20:55 1-3   Villarreal CF Round of 16 51,826
17 February 2022 20:45 2–3   Real Betis Knockout round play-offs 28,936
 
Saint Petersburg Arena after a UEFA Champions League match in 2021

Conditions for spectators with disabilities

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Saint Petersburg Arena offers 560 seats for people with disabilities, 266 of them are for wheelchair users.[55] Moreover, the stadium design includes special lobbies, elevators and ramps to ensure accessibility to spectators with limited mobility.[56]

Safety and security

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The stadium has been fully prepared for the FIFA World Cup games in accordance with the FIFA requirements for capacity and security.[56] The stadium is equipped with a video surveillance and identification system that makes it possible to detect any troublemakers and fans who are not allowed to enter.[57]

References

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  1. ^ "Zenit's stadium on Krestovsky Ostrov to be renamed as The Gazprom Arena". fc-zenit.ru. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Объявлен конкурс на строительство стадиона "Зенита"". gorzakaz.org. 2 October 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Match report – Group A – Russia - New Zealand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017.
  4. ^ New stadium Archived 19 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine at Zenit's website (in Russian)
  5. ^ "«Газпром-Арена». Лучше, но позже". nvspb.ru. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Case Study – What Happens When Corruption Meets Incompetence - Krestovsky Stadium". Moscow Times. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  7. ^ "FIFA confident that stadium in St. Petersburg will meet all requirements". TASS. 26 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  8. ^ FIFA.com. "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia - Destination". Archived from the original on 18 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Стадион "Санкт-Петербург". Информация о стадионе". Официальный сайт ФК «Зенит» (Санкт-Петербург) // fc-zenit.ru.
  10. ^ "Стадион "Санкт-Петербург". Информация о стадионе". Некоммерческое партнёрство «Российская футбольная премьер-лига» // rfpl.org. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  11. ^ Стадион «Санкт-Петербург» установил новый рекорд посещаемости. — 64 468 зрителей увидели победу сборной России над Египтом — 3:1! Официальный сайт ФК «Зенит» (Санкт-Петербург) // fc-zenit.ru (19 июня 2018 года)
  12. ^ В Смольном гордятся новым рекордом стадиона «Санкт-Петербург». — Прежний рекорд продержался всего четыре дня. // regnum.ru (20 июня 2018 года)
  13. ^ "Стадион "Питер Арена". Факты о стадионе". // piterarena.com. 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  14. ^ a b "ФХР объяснила два числа зрителей на стадионе во время матча Россия – Финляндия". Sport Express (in Russian). 16 December 2018.
  15. ^ FIFA.com. "FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Saint Petersburg". Archived from the original on 5 September 2015.
  16. ^ "Stadium names for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia confirmed". fifa.com. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  17. ^ "Italy upstaged England in the final shoot-out in London; EURO2020.com looks back". uefa.com. 13 June 2021. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  18. ^ a b "UEFA calls extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee". UEFA. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  19. ^ a b "Ukraine crisis: Uefa to move Champions League final after Russian invasion". BBC Sport. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  20. ^ a b Panja, Tariq (25 February 2022). "Champions League Final Will Be Played in Paris, Not Russia". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Decisions from today's extraordinary UEFA Executive Committee meeting". UEFA. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  22. ^ "ZENIT ARENA". iasoglobal.com. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Stadion Sankt Petersburg (Krestovskiy, Zenit Arena)". stadiumdb.com. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  24. ^ a b "St Petersburg Stadium, Krestovsky Island". designbuild-network.com. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  25. ^ "Saint Petersburg Stadium". stadiumguide.com. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  26. ^ "City Hall Pulls Out of Skyscraper, Redirects Funds to New Stadium". The St. Petersburg Times. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  27. ^ "Строящемуся стадиону на Крестовском дали техническое название — "Санкт-Петербург"". kanoner.com. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  28. ^ Мутко: уровень беспокойства за стадион в Санкт-Петербурге понизят в сентябре (in Russian). Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  29. ^ "Zenit Arena final cost totals 43 bln rubles - vice governor". tass.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  30. ^ "Match report – Final – Chile - Germany" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017.
  31. ^ "Стадион "Санкт-Петербург" передан во владение "Зениту"". vesti.ru. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  32. ^ ""Зенит" на 49 лет заполучил новый стадион в Петербурге". regnum.ru. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  33. ^ "Rammstein Setlist". setlist.fm. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  34. ^ "Match report – Group A – Russia - New Zealand" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 17 June 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  35. ^ "Match report – Group B – Cameroon - Australia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 22 June 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  36. ^ "Match report – Group A – New Zealand - Portugal" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 24 June 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  37. ^ "Match report – Final – Chile - Germany" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 2 July 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  38. ^ "Match report – Group B – Morocco - IR Iran" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  39. ^ "Match report – Group A – Russia - Egypt" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  40. ^ "Match report – Group E – Brazil - Costa Rica" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  41. ^ "Match report – Group D – Nigeria - Argentina" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  42. ^ "Match report – Round of 16 – Sweden - Switzerland" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  43. ^ "Match report – Semi-final – France - Belgium" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  44. ^ "Match report – Play-off for third place – Belgium - England" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  45. ^ "Change of venues for some UEFA EURO 2020 matches announced". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  46. ^ "Full Time Summary – Belgium v Russia" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  47. ^ "Full Time Summary – Poland v Slovakia" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  48. ^ "Full Time Summary – Finland v Russia" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  49. ^ "Full Time Summary – Sweden v Slovakia" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  50. ^ "Full Time Summary – Finland v Belgium" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  51. ^ "Full Time Summary – Sweden v Poland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  52. ^ "Full Time Summary – Switzerland v Spain" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  53. ^ "Champions League final hosts announced for 2021, 2022 and 2023". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  54. ^ "UEFA competitions to resume in August". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  55. ^ Люди с ограниченными возможностями протестировали стадион "Санкт-Петербург Арена". sankt-peterburg.glavny.tv (in Russian). 6 March 2017. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  56. ^ a b "Технические параметры". spb2018.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  57. ^ Директор по безопасности "Зенита": "Делаем все, чтобы на арене "Санкт-Петербург" людям было комфортно" (in Russian). 2 February 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
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Preceded by FIFA Confederations Cup
Final venue

2017
Succeeded by
last stadium