Austria Stadiums: Stadion Graz Liebenau, Graz
Andy Greeves
Home to Austrian Bundesliga teams SK Sturm Graz and Grazer AK (GAK), the current Stadion Graz Liebenau opened back in 1997. Prior to that, the Stadion Graz Liebenau served as a sports facility for the Steyr Daimler Puch company while it was the home ground for Sturm Graz between 1974 and 1982 and GAK from 1975 to 1986. It was demolished in the mid-1990s to make way for the construction of a new ground.
The stadium has had a number of previous names. Between 1995 and 2005, it was known as the Arnold Schwarzenegger-Stadion after world-renowned actor Arnold Schwarzenegger while it held the sponsored name UPC-Arena from 2006 to 2016 and Merkur-Arena from 2016 to 2026.
The ground was not one of Austria's four stadiums for Euro 2008 co-hosted with Switzerland.
Other club grounds in Austria include the Allianz Stadion home to Rapid Wien and the Generali Arena, home of Austria Wien. Ernst Happel Stadium, also in the capital, is mainly used for international fixtures.
Stands
The single-tier Stadion Graz Liebenau is renowned for its distinctive curved roofing while there are large screens with clocks at both goal ends of the ground. Away fans are usually accommodated in sections 26 and 27 at the south end of ground while the other end, the Nordkurve is a 'safe standing' area home to SK Sturm Graz' ultra groups 'Kollektiv 1909' and 'Sturmflut'. Grazer AC's 'Society Graz 06' ultras can be usually be found in sector 25 meanwhile.
The Stadion Graz Liebenau currently has a capacity of 15,300 (increased to around 16,300 for domestic matches).
History
A field located on the site of the future Stadion Graz Liebenau started to be used for sport from around 1929. It was home to local football team Grazer SC Straßenbahn while it also provided recreational space for workers at the Steyr Daimler Puch factory.
A stadium was opened on the site on 9 June 1951 when a select team representing the Styrian Football Association played Sunderland in a friendly match. Back then, the ground was known as Bundesstadion Liebenau. In the years thereafter, Sturm Graz and Grazer occasionally used the venue before making permanent moves there. Sturm Graz left their historic 'Gruabn' ground to play at the Stadion Graz-Liebenau between 1974 and while GAK moved from their Stadion Körösistraße home to play at Bundesstadion Liebenau from 1975 to 1986.
The Austria national team played their first-ever match at the Bundesstadion Liebenau on 10 September 1970 when they lost 1-0 to Yugoslavia. 'Das Team' have competed in a total of 17 matches at the 'old' and the 'new' Stadion Graz Liebenau to date. The ground also staged an England versus Japan friendly match in May 2010.
In January 1995, construction work began on the building of a new 16,000-capacity stadium at Liebenau. The venue, originally named after Steiermark-born actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, officially opened on 9 July 1997 as Sturm beat GAK 4-0 in a friendly match. The Stadion Graz Liebenau has been home to Sturm Graz ever since while GAK moved out in 2012 before returning in 2019.
The Clubs: Sturm Graz and Grazer AK
Sturm Graz are one of Austrian football's most successful clubs having won five Austrian Bundesliga titles while they have also finished as the division's runners-up on nine occasions. They have also lifted the Austrian cup - the ÖFB Cup - on seven occasions. Sturm were one of 10 founder members of the Austrian Bundesliga in 1974-75 and were joined in the division by rivals Grazer the following season.
Grazer, who have twice been Austrian Bundesliga runners-up, won their one and only top flight title in 2003-04. They have won four ÖFB Cups to date, the most recent triumph also coming in 2004 as part of a unique 'double'.
Both Sturm and Grazer have made their mark on the European stage. Sturm have competed in UEFA competition in 32 seasons to date and have taken part in the group/league stage of the UEFA Champions League on four occasions. Their best performance in European competition came when they reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1975-76 and the UEFA Cup in 1983-84.
Grazer meanwhile have spent 19 seasons in UEFA competition and made it to the last eight of the UEFA Cup in 2004-05. They are yet to feature in the UEFA Champions League group/league stage but have taken part in the competition's qualifying stages on three occasions.
While both Sturm and GAK have spent much of their history challenging Austria's heavyweight clubs such as Rapid Wien, Austria Wien and Red Bull Salzburg at the top of the Bundesliga, they have also faced periods of struggle. Sturm - formed in May 1909 - were declared bankrupt in 2006. A year earlier they sold their historic Gruabn ground to the city of Graz in order to ease financial pressures.
Grazer meanwhile went into administration during the 2007-08 season and were docked 28 points as a result before being expelled from the professional leagues in Austria the following season. Plying their trade in the Austrian Regional League Central, GAK were eventually dissolved in 2012. A new phoenix club called Grazer AC was formed soon after the dissolution and in March 2014, Grazer AC was declared as a continuation of the original Grazer AK. Around this time, the club's original 'Grazer Athletiksport Klub' name was reinstated. After winning league at six regional levels, GAK returned to professional football and the Austrian First League (at the second tier of the Austrian league pyramid) in 2019. Four years later, they won promotion back to the Austria Bundesliga to take their place in the top flight after an absence of 17 years.
Honours
STURM GRAZ
Austrian Bundesliga winners: 1997-98, 1998-99, 2010-11, 2023-24, 2024-25
ÖFB Cup: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 2009-10, 2017-18, 2022-23, 2023-24
ÖFB-Supercup* winners: 1996, 1998, 1999
UEFA Intertoto Cup joint winners: 2008
GRAZER AK
Austrian Bundesliga winners: 2003-04
ÖFB Cup winners: 1980-81, 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2003-04
ÖFB-Supercup* winners: 2000, 2002
Austrian First League (second tier) winners: 1974-75, 1992-93, 1994-95, 2023-24
Austrian Regionalliga Mitte (third tier) winners: 2011-12, 2018-19
Landesliga Steiermark (fourth tier) winners: 2017-18
Oberliga Mitte/West (fifth tier) winners: 2016-17
Unterliga Mitte (sixth tier) winners: 2015-16
Gebietsliga Mitte (seventh tier) winners: 2014-15
1. Klasse Mitte A (eighth) winners (eighth tier): 2013-14
Grazer Derby
The first 'Grazer Derby' took place in 1911. From 1920 onwards, the two clubs competed together in the Styrian Championship/Styrian League. Following Austria's annexation to Germany during World War II, the clubs briefly competed together in the Gauliga Ostmark.
In 1949, Sturm became the first non-Vienna-based club to enter the Austrian national league following the introduction of the Staatsliga. In 1951/52, Grazer joined the division, with the first top flight league derby won by Sturm on 9 December 1951. GAK quickly gained revenge winning four of the next five derbies. Indeed, there was a 13-year period thereafter when GAK went undefeated in the derby until Sturm finally claimed a 2-0 victory in 1964.
The first Grazer Derby in the Austrian Bundesliga came on 30 August 1975 - a match which finished in a 0-0 draw. The next two Grazer Derbies in the Austrian Bundesliga also ended in goalless draws. Interestingly, when the two sides first met in the Austrian Bundesliga, the goal tally from the past derby fixtures stood at 99. With the goalless draws and this goal tally in mind, the Kleine Zeitung newspaper offered the prize of a new Ford Escort to the player to score the 100th derby goal ahead of the meeting of the two clubs on 5 September 1975.
GAK defender Mario Zuenelli claimed that prize just five minutes into the match hitting home a fine free-kick. Sturm fought back to lead 3-1 at half-time but GAK produced a comeback of their own in the second period as the game finished in a 4-4 draw. Zuenelli sold the Ford Escort once he received it and shared the proceeds with his teammates!
The only time a Grazer Derby has taken place in a major cup final was on 12 May 2002 as the two sides faced each other in the ÖFB Cup Final at Stadion Graz Liebenau. GAK raced into a three-goal lead within the opening 36 minutes of the game thanks to a Ronald Brunmayr brace and a further strike from Jones Kusi-Asare. While Ivica Vastić got two goals back for Sturm in the second period, GAK were able to hold out for a memorable victory.
During to GAK liquidation and reformation in Austria's regional leagues, there was no Grazer derby played between 18 May 2007 and 18 October 2022. Sturm won 1-0 the first meeting of the clubs in some 15 years on 19 October 2022 as one of Austrian football's most intense rivalries resumed.
Fun Facts
- The original Stadion Graz Liebenau had a speedway track which hosted qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Championship in 1965 and 1970.
- The Stadion Graz Liebenau is home to an indoor arena called Eisstadion Liebenau. The venue, which has a seating capacity of 4,126, is home to Graz 99ers ICE Hockey League (International Central European Hockey League).
- Conversations have previously taken place regarding the modernisation and expansion of the Stadion Graz Liebenau but there are currently no concrete plans in place.
Access - Getting There
Stadion Graz Liebenau is easily assessable from the centre of Graz with a tram stop (Stadion Graz Liebenau) located at the front of the stadium. Take Line 4 (13) from Graz Hauptbahnhof, Hauptplatz/Congress or other central stations in the direction on Liebenau Murpark.
Address: Ivica-Osim-Platz 1, A-8041 Graz, Austria
The forecourt of the stadium was renamed in 2023 to honor Ivica Osim, a legendary player and coach for Sturm Graz.
Accessibility
Around 70 wheelchair spaces can be found in sections 22 and 28 of the Stadion Graz Liebenau. Blind and visually impaired fans have access to audio description.
Stadium Tours
Regular standalone public stadium tours are not generally offered for Stadion Graz Liebenau. However, behind-the-scenes stadium tours are available as part of exclusive corporate or VIP hospitality packages offered by SK Sturm Graz for match days and private events.
Graz Hotels
Graz offers a reasonable and varied range of hotel and guesthouse options to suit most budgets.
Some recommendations in the city include the NED Hotel, with family rooms and garden views.
The Lendhotel is centrally-located near The Clock Tower and the Kunsthaus.
All photos by Ross Clegg
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