Karaiskaki – stadium description

Located in Piraeus, in the Athens urban area, the Karaiskakis Stadium was originally built in time for the 1st modern Summer Olympics in 1896 in Athens, as an outdoor Velodrome. Minor Renovations took place during the 1960’s. Current tenants Olympiacos, only moved into the stadium in 1925 until 1984, then from 1989 until 1997, then moved back in after complete reconstruction from 2004-present.

The original stadium also suffered from the Gate 7 tragedy on 8th of February, 1981, an incident widely known as the Karaiskaki Stadium disaster. In memory of this, at the section of Gate 7, twenty one seats are coloured black instead of red, shaping the number 7.

The rebuilt stadium re-opened in 2004, in time to host some of the Football competitions during the 2004 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. With an all seated capacity of 33,296, the stadium has been handed a status of 5 stars by UEFA.

Included in the reconstruction, are single tiered stands on three sides of the Stadium, with one side having 40 VIP lounges and suites, that can hold up to 472 people, a press conference hall that can hold up to 130 seats, 200 seats for press and media, a shopping centre with restaurants, cafes, retail and clothing stores, as well as a gym and a museum dedicated to the history of Olympiacos.

The stadium was rotated, facing a different direction from the original stadium, as well as a completely new roof, supported by 14 cantilever supports. The stadium was built in a record time of 14 months. Olympiacos has leased the stadium until 2052, The Greece National Football Team plays most of its home games here, instead of the much bigger Athens Olympic Stadium.