Surface Grass Opened 27 October 1960 Phone +30 231 020 0082 Construction cost 45 million EUR | Field size 105 x 68 m Scoreboard Yes Capacity 27,770 Renovated 2004 | |
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Full name Ethniko Stadion "Lysimachos Kaftanzoglou" Owner General Secretariat for Sports Team Iraklis 1908 Thessaloniki F.C. Similar Toumba Stadium, Athens Olympic Stadium, Panthessaliko Stadium, Karaiskakis Stadium, Alexandreio Melathron Nick Gali | ||
Kaftanzoglio Stadium (Greek: Καυτανζόγλειο στάδιο) is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans. It currently has 27,770 seats, owing to a comprehensive renovation before reopening to host football matches for the 2004 Summer Olympics, which was centred in Athens. It was the largest stadium in Greece until 1982, but has since been surpassed in capacity by the Olympic Stadium in Athens.
It is the home football stadium of Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C. since 1960.
On 15 October 1969, the attendance record was set with 47,458 fans present for a FIFA World Cup qualifying match, witnessing Greece defeat Switzerland by a 4–1 score. In 1973 it hosted the European Cup Winners Cup Final, which resulted in a 1–0 victory for A.C. Milan over Leeds United.
Athletics events
The stadium regularly plays host to athletics events; it features the European Athletics Association event "Olympic Meeting Thessaloniki" every year; it hosted the Greek national championships in 2009, and it has been used for both athletics at the Mediterranean Games and the European Cup in athletics. It was the host stadium for the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final.