Planning a Football Trip to Istanbul, the Turkish city has been announced as the venue for the 2019 European Super Cup. This post has details of the game so you can start planning your Football Trip.
The 2019 UEFA Super Cup will be played at Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul on Wednesday 14 August of that year, the third major UEFA final to be played in the Turkish city.
The match will be the first in this competition played in Turkey, though Istanbul has previously welcomed the UEFA Champions League final (2005, Atatürk Olympic Stadium) and UEFA Cup final (2009, Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium). The home of Beşiktaş opened on 11 April 2016.
The stadium was built on the site of Beşiktaş’s former home, BJK İnönü Stadium. It has a capacity of approximately 41,188 spectators, after initially being planned for 41,903.The old stadium was demolished, except for the Eski Açık stand, since this stand and its towers are considered historical monuments by the government. The Eski Açık stand was re-arranged to resemble the look of an antique amphitheatre. The new stadium was designed to be “in harmony with the natural and historic landscape of the Bosphorus” when seen from the sea.
On 10 December 2016, two bombs exploded outside the stadium, killing at least 46 (38 police officers, 8 civilians) and injuring 136. The first and larger explosion took place at bout 7:30 p.m. after home team Beşiktaş defeated visitors Bursaspor 2-1 in the Turkish Super League. An official with knowledge of the attack said that the timing of the bombing aimed to maximize the loss of life. However, the civilian death toll was lower because fans had already left the stadium after the match. Witnesses also reported hearing gunfire after the explosions. Officials have said that the first explosion was caused by a passing vehicle that detonated in an area where police special forces were located at the stadium exit. A riot police bus appeared to have been the target. Turkish officials said a person who had been stopped by police in nearby Maçka Park committed suicide by triggering explosives moments later.
Due to the proximity of Dolmabahçe Palace, the Dolmabahçe Clock Tower, the Dolmabahçe Mosque and of course the Bosphorus, the Turkish High Council of Monuments demanded a more historic look which should fit the surrounding historical area. Since the construction site of Vodafone Park is narrow and surrounded by roads, the height of the stands decrease specifically at the corners and widen at the edges. The varying elevation creates a significant waveform-shape in the stands and gives a traditional look. To be faithful to the previous architecture designed in 1939 and coherent with the two remaining historical towers of the old Inönü stadium, Vodafone Park also has an elliptical form.
The match will be between the winners of the 2019 Champions League Final and the 2019 Europa League winners. Details of those two teams will be known in May 2019
