MSV Duisburg - The MSV Arena - Capacity: 31,500 (24,500 seats and 7,000 standing)
The Stadium – The MSV Arena Margaretenstrasse 5-7, Duisburg 47055 (+49 203 93100) The original Wedau stadium was built for the 1922 German Athletics championships, and at the time was the second largest stadium in Germany. However, facilities were very basic for spectators, with very little cover and bench like seating. In fact it wasn’t until the start of the 1960’s that any serious investment was made available for the stadium.
The finance allowed the club to build a new main stand and a new roof was constructed to cover all of the stands. A few more changes were made to the stadium during the next two decades, but the promise of a new stadium from the regional government never materialised.
At last in November 2002 the club gained the commitment from the North Rhine Westphalia government of the required funding, and building redevelopment began after the end of the 2002/03 season. The team continued to play in the stadium as it was rebuilt, stand by stand. The team celebrated the completion of the stadium in 2005 by gaining promotion back to the Bundesliga. Frther information on the stadium can be found at http://www.msv-arena.de.
Who Plays There? MSV Duisburg’s 2nd place finish in last season’s 2nd division Bundesliga gave the club a chance to compete again at the top level for the first time in 5 years. Their previous time in the Bundesliga between 1996 and 2000 resulted in 3 top 10 finishes, before a late dip in form in 2000 saw them relegated in 18th place. The team could never be described as spectacular – last season was a good example where they scored just 50 goals in their 38 games, but conceded just 37. However, Duisburg were always seen by the football authorities as a club that could be trusted and did things the right way. The club has never won a major honour in German football, but was chosen as one of the teams to form the first ever Bundesliga in 1963.
The club have come close to winning a title a couple of times. In 1913 the club qualified for the finals of the German Championship where they met VfB Leipzig. In a close fought final the East Germans ran out 201 winners. In 1975 they managed to reach the German Cup final where they met a resurgent Eintract Frankfurt. Again, the club came close but lost 1-0 in the final. In 1998, the team lost in the Cup Final again to Bayern Munich, but due to Bayern winning the double, the team qualified for Europe for the first time. In the first round of the last ever European Cup Winners Cup MSV met Genk of Belgium. In well matched first leg the Belgium’s were lucky to get a 1-1 draw, but completely overwhelmed the Germans in the second leg, scoring five without reply.
The team went into 2005/06 with hope that they could repeat their form of last season. In their first five games they managed just 2 points, causing concern for the Zebras of Duisburg.
How to get a ticket for the MSV Arena The club sells tickets online, at the ground or over the telephone. Tickets are available for most matches, although games against teams from the surrounding areas such as Bayer Leverkusen, Köln, Bayern Munich and Schalke 04 will sell out in advance. The latter two games will probably not reach a general sales stage. Ticket prices range from €8 in the North and South terracing areas, to €33 for the most expensive seats in the East and West upper tiers. You can purchase tickets from the Zebra club shops in Margaretenstrasse 5 or Wesender Strasse 36 close to the stadium, by telephone on +49 1805 678007 or via the internet at http://www.sportfivetixx.com.
How to get to the MSV Arena The stadium is located between the A59 and A3 Autobahn’s, just to the south of the town centre. he easiest way to reach the stadium from the town centre is to catch either Bus number 934 from the Hauptbahnhof to Stadion Wacholdestrasse or Bus 923 from the Hauptbahnhof to Stadion Kruppstrasse. The nearest S-Bahn station is at Schlenk which is a 10 minute walk away.
If you are driving to the stadium then either exits Autobahn A59 at junction 13 or Autobahn A3 at junction 15. Both exits are within a 2 minute drive to the stadium.
For a more detailed view on who plays where in Germany, go to Footiemap.com.
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 MSV Arena 