2012 European Championships Stadiums: Metalist Stadium (Kharkiv)
Like Kiev's Olimpic National Sports Complex Stadium, the origin of Kharkiv's Metalist Stadium dates back to the 1920s.
It was on the site of the current arena that a new stadium known as 'Traktor' opened in September 1926, with a modest capacity of 10,000. Throughout its history, the stadium has undergone four major renovations in 1967, 1974 and 1998, which has seen the size of the ground grow. The most recent upgrade of facilities was completed in December 2009, with a new East Stand raising the capacity of the ground to 41,411.
Facilities
The Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv has facilities for 6,201 corporate guests and 438 VIP guests. There are also spaces for over 1,000 media professionals to cover matches and 104 places for disabled supporters. One of the arena's most striking features is a pair of giant TV screens, located at both goal ends.
The stadium is home to Ukrainian Premier League club Metalist Kharkiv (now Metalist 1925 Kharkiv*), who have never won the league title but have finished third for the last four consecutive seasons. The Metalist Stadium is famed for its atmosphere and locals have nicknamed the ground the 'Spider Arena' as its roof pillars look like large spiders legs.
*Metalist 1925 Kharkiv was founded in the summer of 2016 after the original FC Metalist Kharkiv was denied a license by the Football Federation of Ukraine and subsequently expelled from national competitions. Led by former Metalist player Volodymyr Linke and others, a new team was established under the name FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv. The club began its journey in the Ukrainian Football Amateur League during the 2016-17 season and secured promotion to the Ukrainian Second League the following year. In 2018, Metalist 1925 advanced to the Ukrainian First League, and by 2021, the club had reached the top tier of Ukrainian football - the Ukrainian Premier League.
Metalist Stadium Access
The Metalist Stadium is located 5 km north of the city centre and is served by a metro station called 'Sportivnaya' on Line 1 (Kholodnohirsko-Zavodska Line).
Pivdennyi Vokzal (the central train station) has regular services to Donetsk (journey time 6.5 hours), Moscow (11.5 hours), Kiev (6 hours) and Lviv (20 hours).
Kharkiv's Osnova International Airport meanwhile is 8 km south of the city with daily services to Kiev, Moscow, Vienna and Antalya.
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