Stadion FC Petržalka, Bratislava, Slovakia
Stadion FC Petržalka in Bratislava, Slovakia is the home ground of FC Petržalka 1898.
The 1,500 capacity stadium opened in 2012 and has artificial turf and floodlighting.
The Club: FC Petržalka
FC Petržalka's nickname is Engerau which is the historical German name for Petržalka and means 'narrow floodplain' and refers to the area's geological location near the River Danube.
The club was founded in 1898 as Pozsonyi Torna Egyesület and has had an amazing 17 name changes over its history. Among them TJ Považské Strojárne Bratislava in the 1960s, TJ Internacionál Slovnaft ZŤS Bratislava in the mid-1980s and FK Artmedia Petržalka in the 1990s.
FC Petržalka have competed in both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. As Artmedia Bratislavia the team reached the group stages of the Champions League in 2005-2006 after winning the Slovak League in 2005 under coach Vladimír Weiss, who is now in charge of the Slovak national team.
The team in black and white stripes famously beat Celtic 5-0 at home in the first leg of their Champions League 2nd qualifying round match and went through after losing 4-0 in the return at Celtic Park.
The City: Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia with a population of around 479,000 people. It is located on the River Danube 80 km east of Vienna.
The city is the only national capital in the world that borders two different countries (Austria and Hungary) and is just a short trip from Vienna.
It served as the capital and coronation city for the Kingdom of Hungary from 1536 to 1783, where dozens of kings and queens were crowned in St. Martin's Cathedral.
Sights include the pedestrian Old Town, famous for playful bronze sculptures peeking out from street corners, including Čumil, a worker coming out of a manhole. The Blue Church (Church of St. Elisabeth) is a 20th-century art nouveau building stands out for its soft blue pastel exterior and ornate mosaic tiles.
Access - Getting There
Several buses run close to the ground from Bratislava Bus Station. These include numbers 84, 87, 98 and 99.
Address: Marie Curie-Sklodowskej 1, 851 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
From Bratislava Main Station walk around 10 minutes to bus stop Pod stanicou and from here take an 84 bus to Ovsištské nám, from here it is less than 5 minutes on foot.
Bratislava Hotels
Bratislava offers a good range of hotel and guesthouse options to suit most budgets.
Some recommendations in Slovakia's capital city include the RAJ zdravia with a spa, sauna and wellness center.
The Metropolitan Star Apart Hotel has four stars and is centrally located.
All photos by Ross Clegg
World Stadiums
Estadio Nuevo Colombino Huelva
Tosu Stadium (Ekimae Real Estate Stadium)
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