Stadionul Farul – historical stadium description

When was the Farul stadium in Constanţa built?

Work on the construction of the stadium in Constanţa began in 1950. The facility was built on a wasteland, and volunteers and political prisoners were involved in the construction. The arena was designed by a team of architects led by Ioan Puşchilă. The stadium was inaugurated on August 23, 1954, and a friendly match between local Lokomotiva PCA (later Farul) and Dinamo Oraşul Stalin (2:3) was played at the opening. The game was watched by 30,000 spectators.

How did the Farul stadium in Constanţa change?

Initially, the venue was simply called the 'New Stadium' ('Stadionul Nou'), but it was soon renamed 'Stadionul 1 Mai'. Originally, there was a gap in the stands at the northern curve. In the 1970s, the venue was equipped with floodlights. The stands were extended over time, the gap in the north arch was closed and the upper sectors along the pitch were added. The facility became part of the 'Parcul Sportiv Tăbăcărie'.

At its peak, the stadium's nominal capacity was 25,000, but after the installation of plastic seats, it fell to around 15,500. In 1990, the stadium was renamed 'Farul'. In 2000, the stadium was named after Gheorghe Hagi, one of the best footballers in Romanian football history, a native of the Constanța area. In 2005, however, the name "Farul" was restored.

Who did the Farul stadium in Constanţa serve?

The main user of the facility was the club Farul Constanta, the Romanian national team also made 13 appearances at the stadium, and a national Super Cup match was played here on July 8, 2015 (Steaua Bucharest – ASA Târgu Mureș 0:1).

Why was the Farul stadium in Constanța demolished?

The aging stadium had started to fall into disrepair over time. Its stands were starting to fall apart, and in many places the seats were missing. In 2018, the facility was taken over by the city from the state in order to make the necessary investments. On July 31, 2020, the mayor of Constanta, Decebal Făgădău, presented an ambitious project to build a new football facility to replace the Farul stadium. On May 31, 2021, the last match was played in the old stadium (Farul – "U" Cluj 1:3).

In October 2022 new renderings of the planned stadium were shown, and in the summer of 2023 the old Farul stadium was demolished. Construction of the new facility, to be built in its place, should start at the end of 2023 and is expected to take 28 months. The new stadium will have a football-specific layout, accommodate more than 18,000 spectators and is expected to meet UEFA Category 4 requirements.

What did the Farul stadium in Constanţa look like?

The Farul stadium had an athletics track, surrounded by stands based mostly on embankments, with small superstructures to the east and west. A standout feature was the tall concrete floodlight masts. On the west side, in the central area, stood a building with lodges. Since the installation of plastic seating, the capacity of the stadium was around 15,500 spectators.