Borussia Dortmund - Signal Iduna Park Dortmund - Capacity: 80,700 (54,000 Seats)
The Stadium – The Signal Iduna Park Dortmund Dortmund is the home to the second largest club stadium in Europe. Whilst the Nou Camp in Barcelona can boast around 10,000 more seats, it cannot match the intensity, passion or vocal support that the 81,000+ Borussia Dortmund fans create. It also can boast the highest average attendance in Europe – currently at the 77,235 mark – although once the redevelopment work at Old Trafford has been completed next year that title may be under threat. The stadium is impressive – from the shear size of the Kop – the largest standing area in Europe with space for over 25,000, to the cliff-like seating around the pitch of the other stands. On a matchday, when it seems every fan turns up decked out in yellow and black the stadium is an awesome monument to Dortmund’s finest.
The stadium has come through considerable changes and redevelopments to reach the finished article you see today. It was originally built for the 1974 World Cup, and located next door to the Rote Erde stadion which served as Borussia’s home for nearly 70 years. The 54,000 capacity stadium was seen as one of the most modern and functional in the country at the time.
As Borussia Dortmund’s fortunes changed in the late seventies and early eighties, then the need to increase the capacity in the stadium became apparent. The first phase of the redevelopment work took place in the early 1990’s when the East and West stands were rebuilt taking the capacity to over 66,000. After Dortmund became the first German cup to win the Champions League in 1997, the South (Kop) and North stands were rebuilt in line with the two other stands. This gave the Westfalenstadion a capacity of over 71,000, including the 25,000 Kop stand. Still demand outstripped supply and a final redevelopment took place in the early part of this century when the four corners were filled in giving the ground a record German capacity of just over 83,000.
The stadium is absolutely awesome on a match day. Every seat offers an unobstructed view of the action, although the view from the seats at pitch level takes some getting used to. The stadium has plenty of food and drink outlets, both inside, as well as outside the stadium. For a good pre-match beer then visit the old Rote Erde Stadion next door to meet some of the most fanatical Dortmund fans. The stadium is also close to the Westfalenpark which is an ideal summer setting for a picnic or a BBQ before walking the 10 minutes or so to the stadium.
Who Plays There? Borussia Dortmund are viewed today as one of the most successful German teams. Whilst they can certainly claim to be the best supported, in terms of physical numbers through the gates, their most recent history is not very promising. A disappointing 7th place finish in 2004/05 was a mighty achievement based on the fact that the club suffered crippling financial problems off the pitch which almost saw it enter administration – a fate worse than death for German clubs as it would mean automatic demotion to the regional leagues. This season has not started much better for them either, with a unceremonious exit to the Intertoto Cup in the 3rd round to Sigma Olomouc of the Czech Republic as well as a 1st round exit in the German Cup to lowly Eintracht Braunschweig. Their last major honour was the 2002 Bundesliga title, won on the last day against Werder Bremen over rivals Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich. Matthias Sammer’s team of stars like Koeller, Amoroso and Ewerthon were soon up for sale as the club suffered off the field from the costs associated with redevolping the Westfalenstadion.
Such problems were hard to conceive when the club was formed out of a Christian youth organisation in 1909. During the 1920’s and 1930’s the club was dominated by its neighbours and fierce local rivals FC Schalke. Playing in the Oberliga in the Ruhr valley, Schalke repeatedly won matches over Borussia to qualify for the German championship finals, winning it 6 times in a period of 15 years. In fact it wasn’t until 1949 that Borussia actually made it to their first Championship final, although the 3-2 defeat to VfR Mannheim was not the result they had planned. In 1956 Dortmund managed to go one better by winning the Championship with a 4-2 victory over Karlsruhe. A year later they retained their title with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Hamburg. In winning the title, Borussia entered the first ever European Cup. Despite a shaky start when they needed a play off to get past Spora Luxembourg, Borussia eventually reached the 3rd round before losing to Manchester United. The following year they managed to reach the Quarter Finals before falling to AC Milan.
The next major honour that the Black and Yellows won was the 1963 German Championship – famous for being the last played as an amateur championship by beating Köln 3-1, and thus securing their place in the first Bundesliga of 1963/64, although they missed the chance of a unique double when they lost 3-0 to Hamburg in the German Cup Final. The Rote Erde Stadion was redeveloped during the following season, and the fans were rewarded with a first German cup win, beating Aachen 2-0.
This gave Borussia a chance to enter the 1965/6 European Cup Winners Cup where they met holders West Ham in a close run semi-final. A victory over the Londoners gave Dortmund the impetus to win their first European cup after beating Liverpool 2-1 at Hampden Park.
The seventies and early eighties were a baron time for Borussia Dortmund, coupled with a decline in attendances at the newly redeveloped Westfalenstadion. In a time when no team could dominate the league for more than a couple of seasons at a time, Dortmund couldn’t climb the ladder to success. It took until 1989 for the club to make a major final again when they beat Werder Bremen 4-1 in the German Cup final. Four years later in 1993, Dortmund managed a sustained run in the UEFA Cup and reached the final where they met Juventus. The team could not reproduce its form from previous rounds and lost 6-1 over two legs – a result that would be seen as the major motivator for when the teams would meet 4 years later in the Champions League final. In 1995 the club won their first Bundesliga championship, and then repeated the feat 12 months later. This gave them an opportunity to compete in the newly expanded and revamped Champions League competition. In a great run to the final, including a two legged win over Manchester United, Sammer’s team outplayed Juventus in the Olympic Stadium in Munich to win the title 3-1.
The 2002 Bundesliga title was the final honour Borussia Dortmund managed to claim, before the current slide took hold. More information can be found at http://www.borussia-dortmund,de. There is a very well stocked fan shop in Alter Markt, as well as a smaller shop at the stadium.
How to get to Signal Iduna Park On a matchday the U-Bahn lines U45 and U46 run directly to a stop located in the south east corner of the stadium called Westfalenstadion. From here the South and East stands are easily accessible. If you have tickets for the North or West stands then it may be easier alighting one stop earlier at Westfalenhallen and walking the 5 minutes or so down Strobelallee to the stadium. From the city centre at Stadgarten then it is just 3 stops to Westfalenhallen and 4 to the stadium stop. From the Hauptbahnhof then the U45 line runs direct, taking around 10 minutes to do the 6 stops. Alternatively you can catch any of the U41, U47 or U49 U-Bahn lines and change at Stadgarten.
If you are coming by taxi from the city centre then allow 15 minutes and around €10 for the journey. Whilst there are a number of car parks in the vicinity of the stadium it is not recommended to drive to the stadium. Dortmund is well served by the autobahn network and so if driving is your option, park to the north of the city centre and use the U-Bahn trains to the ground. If you are coming just for the game and not stopping over then a taxi may be your best bet. From Dortmund airport you should expect to pay less than €20 for the 15 minute journey. If you are coming by public transport then take the airport bus (see below) to Hauptbahnhof, and then jump on the U-Bahn line 46 for the stadium. Allow at least an hour to make this journey though.
For a more detailed view as to who plays where in the Ruhr Region, go to Footiemap.com
Getting around Dortmund is a relatively small city and all of the sites, and the stadium are walkable. The compact centre holds the majority of the bars and hotels, and you can quite easily spend a weekend here without using public transport. The U-Bahn system covers the area quite well, and the city is linked to the rest of the Ruhr valley via the S-Bahn network.
Dortmund airport is located approximately 8 miles east of the city. It has one terminal that serves mainly budget carriers such as Easyjet, Air Berlin and Whizz, although its is only Luton’s finest that currently serve Dortmund from the UK daily.
The easiest way to travel into the city centre is via the special bus service to Dortmund Hauptbahnhof. The journey takes 25 minutes and costs €5 each way (€2 for children). The bus arrives and departs from the bus station opposite the Hauptbahnhof. Buses run every hour during the day. A taxi is also an option - the 20 minute journey in normal traffic should cost no more than €25.
The Stadium – The Signal Iduna Park Dortmund 