Stadionul Steaua – stadium description

The arena is located in the Ghencea district, slightly west of the Romanian capital's historic centre, near the Drumul Taberei park. The stadium is well connected to the city's ring road.

The new facility replaced the worn-out but legendary Stadionul Ghencea, which stood on the same spot from 1974 to 2018. The host of the arena is Steaua owned by the Ministry of Defense (like the stadium itself). The club was formed in 2017 after the Romanian army stripped controversial businessman Gigi Becali of the rights to Steaua's name, colours, crest and history.

The initial concept of a new venue for Steaua came to light in 2018 and featured a striking star-shaped structure (the word steaua in Romanian means star). Budget reality revised those plans and in the end a very classic-looking facility was created. In the actual design almost everything was simplified, and the star motif survived only in the form of the stairs and the promenade surrounding the stadium.

Works on the stadium began in February 2019, and ended in November 2020. The pace was really impressive, but the official opening of the venue had to wait a little longer. The delay was caused officially by pandemic restrictions, and unofficially by protracted formal procedures and the lack of a walkway leading to the arena.

Before the official opening took place, training sessions were held on the occasion of Euro 2020, as the Steaua stadium was the base of the North Macedonian national side. Ultimately, on July 7, Steaua played its first match at the new stadium, beating OFK Beograd 6-0 (the same opponent the club faced at the opening of the old arena).

Although the financial possibilities forced the original concept to be trimmed, the stadium can still be a source of pride for Steaua fans. It is the largest club facility in the Romanian capital.

Stadionul Steaua was built on a rectangular plan with rounded corners. The roof of the building is covered with a sheet metal chosen instead of the originally planned polycarbonate. It is possible to illuminate the stadium thanks to the LED strip built into the facade.

The facade is not uniform along its entire length. It reveals the outer covers of the stands, as well as the roof supports. The auditorium consists of two levels, where 31,254 seats were installed, arranged in a mosaic in the colours of the club.

There is a VIP area on the main stand that can accommodate 2,678 people. There are also 22 boxes on the lower level of the aforementioned stand, and another 18 on the upper one. Each of them can seat 12 people.

Footballers have at their disposal a hybrid turf (105 x 68 m). The playing field is illuminated by floodlights with an intensity of 2,150 lux. The built-up area of the arena is 82,000 square metres. The stadium facilities include a skybar, a hotel for 48 people, over 500 parking spots (outdoor and underground) and small halls for other sports. The venue has the highest UEFA category IV.