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 Stadionul Rapid-Giulești located in Bucharest, Romania. Take a look at this candidacy and decide whether you want to vote for it in the contest for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Stadionul Rapid-Giulești nominated for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Football fans in Bucharest last year finally were able to celebrate the inauguration of a new home for their club, FC Rapid. The ultra-modern Stadionul Rapid-Giulești 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, 8 from Europe, 4 from Africa, 3 from North America, 2 from South America and 1 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 Stadionul Rapid-Giulești

The facility replaced Rapid's previous stadium, the outdated Stadionul Giuleşti-Valentin Stănescu, which opened in 1939. In January 2019, demolition of the old stadium began and construction of the new arena began in its place, which lasted 3 years. The official inauguration of the stadium took place on March 26, 2022. The opening ceremony included a match between legends and a laser show, and the highlight of the evening was Rapid's friendly match against Politehnica Timișoara (1:0).

The capacity of the new stadium is 14,050 spectators. Its auditorium is fully covered. The main stand on the west side has VIP boxes and has been divided into two tiers. The space underneath the auditorium has been used for numerous purposes, including eight training areas, a 60-metre indoor track, a small bowling alley and hotel rooms. The building also contains offices, changing rooms, toilets, storage areas, a conference room, catering facilities and space for the club shop and museum. Here are some interesting facts about the arena: 

• Stadionul Rapid-Giulești cost $ $ 41.2 million.
• Between the stand behind the north goal and the pitch, there is still a straight, 60-metre long running track with four tracks.
• The seating in the stands are in three maroon shades, a number of white seats form the inscriptions "Rapid", "1923" and the club’s logo
• The facility is located on a rather tight plot of land, and spatial constraints significantly influenced the shape of the stadium. 

From the outside, the building is covered with a non-uniform façade. The building is clad in vertical slats, white and black panels, has lots of windows, and a prominent, night-lit sign with the name of the stadium has been placed on the exterior of the main stand. Numerous concrete pillars rise above the structure, supporting the roof structure. The roof is made of trapezoidal sheet metal and finished with narrow glazed sections.

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: