Our Stadium of the Year competition has officially begun and will run until March 15. As many as 36 venues are on the list of nominees this year. One of them is Erzincan 13 Şubat Şehir Stadyumu located in Erzincan, Turkey. Take a look at this candidacy and decide whether you want to vote for it in the contest for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Erzincan 13 Şubat Şehir Stadium nominated for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Turkey is growing into a stadium powerhouse not only in Europe, but also in the world. The country's impressive roster of arenas was joined last year by the venue in Erzincan. The ultra-modern Erzincan 13 Şubat Şehir Stadyumu made it to the list of 36 football arenas nominated for the prestigious Stadium of the Year 2022 award. The competition is the largest public vote of its kind in the world. Since the first edition began, a total of more than 400,000 valid votes have been counted.

This year’s contest is highly varied, with stadiums from as many as six different continents taking part: 18 venues are from Asia, eight from Europe, four from Africa, three from North America, two from South America and one from Australia and Oceania. The competition is fierce, so don't hesitate to cast a vote for the stadium you appreciate the most! If you’re still unsure, you can watch a video covering all 36 nominated stadiums:

Get to know Erzincan 13 Şubat Şehir Stadyumu

Construction of the stadium for 24 Erzincanspor began in the summer of 2018 with the demolition of the old stadium. Unlike its predecessor, the new facility was to have a football-specific layout, without an athletics track. By building on the site of the old stadium, the city's main sports venue remained in the centre of it, which is rare for newly built stadiums in Turkey, which are usually constructed on the outskirts.

The stadium was finally inaugurated on August 28, 2022 with a match of the first round of the 2022/23 season of the 2. Lig (third tier of the competition): 24 Erzincanspor - Tarsus İdman Yurdu SK 1:1. Here are some interesting facts about the arena: 

• The stadium cost 138 million Turkish lira to build, funded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
• The facility, like its predecessor, was named in honour of February 13 (on this day, in 1918, Erzincan was liberated from Russian occupation)
• The capacity of the venue is 12,981 spectators

The stadium has single-level stands that surround the pitch on all sides. The auditorium is fully covered. The roof on the south side is glazed, allowing more sunlight onto the pitch. Due to the rather cold winters in the region, the playing field was equipped with a heating system. The stadium's facilities include restaurants, shops and gyms.

How to vote for the Stadium of the Year 2022?

In order to take part, everyone has to select five stadiums by giving 5 stars to the best one, 4 stars to the second best, 3 stars to the third, 2 stars for the fourth and finally 1 star for the fifth most interesting. It means that you cannot cast your vote for only one stadium - all 5 venues must be included in your form. To vote visit Stadium of the Year 2022, the voting platform which will be open until March 15. To learn more about the nominated stadiums and the voting rules themselves, it is recommended to watch the video: