El Wankdorfstadion: One of the great historical temples of football

Last update 7 May, 2024 by Alberto Llopis

El Wankdorfstadion: One of the most emblematic stages of his time

Many young football fans may Wankdorfstadion Stadium not say much. But perhaps those who are older will remember as one of the most emblematic venues in the footballing history. Located in Bern, in the heart of the Swiss capital, the Wankdorf Stadium was built in the far 1925 in order to host the matches of the Swiss selection.

Accommodating 22.000 viewers in its infancy, in 1939 The stadium would suffer one of its three great transformations such as creation after two angle towers, authentic flagship enclosure for years, which they will also allow it to expand its capacity to 39.000 throats. Even though, definitely, would be 1954, the year that marked a before and after in one of the most traditional stadiums around the world of football. The fact that FIFA finally to Switzerland would grant him the final phase of World Cup 1954 It triggered a new remodeling that would take him to host up 64.000 personas.

It was the headquarters of ‘The Battle of Bern’

I live in this world championship, definitely, the Wankdorftadion two of the most memorable games in the history of football. The thrilling quarter-final between Hungary and Brazil, also called the Battle of Bern, which ended with victory after multiple expulsions Central, hard tickets and even launches bottles between players, in which, according to the correspondent of The Times was the party with the most cruel blows ever seen on a field, and the final swilling between the Hungarian combined and Germany that ended the surprising German victory in what is known as the “Miracle of Bern” and it marked the end of four years of invincibility of the Magyars.

The famous Berna final of the square posts

Not only team football lived the Wankdorfstadion Stadium. He 31 May 1961, The stadium was hosting a party that would change the history of football. The final of the European Cup between Barcelona and Benfica win would end Luso 3-2 in a match where the Catalans would crash up to four balls to clubs and would removal by FIFA of square posts by round, in order to avoid unpredictable reject.

A final with such big names in the blaugrana breast as Sándor Kocsis, Luis Suarez, Antoni Ramallets or Ladislao Kubala, but were unable to overcome a fierce header by Mario Luso set Coluna or José Águas who would add their first European Cup history. Of course Barcelona would have his revenge on the premises, when in 1989 conquer the Cup Winners Cup in the first year of Cruyff before the Italian Sampdoria thanks to goals from Julio Salinas and Lopez Rekarte.

Wankdorfstadion was demolished in 2001

A plebiscite in the city of Bern meant the approval of his collapse in 2001 and the construction of a new stadium: he Swiss stadium, build in 2005 in order to host the Euro Cup 2008, where he hosted the opening match.

The stadium with capacity 32.000 claims to combine the essence of the old stadium and the novelty of one of the most modern complexes in Europe . A clock on the outside mark the memory of the exact minute of the match when German team scored the third goal in the already mentioned “Miracle of Bern”. Inside, the seats, all covered, in black and yellow, They give a unique gloss, which it is broken with a red armchair: one created in honor of the legendary Swiss goalkeeper Walter Eich and has the honor to be covered each meeting with an important personality.

Are the very special things in a stadium that day also serves to celebrate succulent friendly matches, where the best teams in the world takes major economic pillars. After the end, is Switzerland, lest we forget. In 2020, He recovered his name and was called WANKDORF Stadium.