Allianz Arena

Stadium Munich, Germany

The Allianz Arena is a football stadium located in the Fröttmaning district on the northern outskirts of Munich.

The two most important football clubs in Munich, namely Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich, started playing there from the 2005-2006 football season and split the construction costs in half. Both clubs previously played at the Olympiastadion, Bayern Munich since 1972 and 1860 Munich since the 1990s. 1860 Munich, who were initially co-owners of the stadium, sold their shares in the stadium to Bayern Munich for €11m in April 2006 following severe economic difficulties. However, the two clubs agreed that 1860 Munich could continue playing at the venue. In 2017 1860 Munich returned to play at the old Grünwalder Stadion. The Allianz Group, a major financial firm, bought the rights to the name for 30 years. The stadium was also called FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Bayern Munich is also obliged to call the stadium Fußball Arena München during European competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League due to the wishes of the UEFA. Shortly after its construction, its unusual shape gave the Allianz Arena the nickname, Schlauchboot (Inflatable Boat). The stadium hosted the 2011-2012 Champions League final. It is the second stadium, after the Bernabéu, by altitude (about 550 m) among the top European clubs.