“Stade de Luxembourg” officially inaugurated
L-R: Fernand Etgen, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Dan Kersch, Minister of Sports, HRH Grand Duke Henri, Lydie Polfer, Mayor of Luxembourg city, Paul Philipp, President of FLF, Jean-François Boulot, President of FLR. (Photo by Julien Garroy)
LUXEMBOURG, September 29, 2021 - Luxembourg and its sports world have been waiting for this event for years! The “Stade de Luxembourg”, a brand-new temple of football and rugby, was officially inaugurated on Saturday, September 25, with great pomp and ceremony.
To kick off this very special event, His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri walked onto the pitch, alongside Fernand Etgen, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lydie Polfer, Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, and Dan Kersch, Minister for Sport. The Luxembourg Football Federation was officially represented by its President Paul Philipp and most of the members of its Board of Directors.
The official speeches punctuated a very festive opening ceremony, followed by dance performances and laser and light shows. Young sportsmen and women received a football and a rugby ball for the occasion.
Inside the new stadium. (Photo by Val Wagner)
The evening ended with the cutting of a cake bearing the effigy of the “Stade de Luxembourg” and the presentation to Grand Duke Henri of a gift box, including a jersey for his grandson Prince Charles bearing the inscription "Charles 1", as a souvenir of the inauguration of the new stadium.
Luxembourg's brand-new national football and rugby stadium is fully compliant with the latest standards in terms of comfort, technology and safety, and features an adjoining multi-purpose space designed to accommodate a wide range of sporting and cultural events.
The “Stade de Luxembourg” meets all the specifications for an UEFA category 4 stadium. Its capacity is 9,471 seats: 8,708 standard seats, 512 VIP sets, 27 VVIP sets, 174 press seats, 50 seats for people with reduced mobility.
Instantly recognizable owing to its distinctive architectural design, the stadium is a prominent feature in the skyline of the newly developed “Cloche d’Or” district. With its timeless architecture, it is the symbol of Luxembourg football.
As the stadium is set to host rugby and football matches alike, the playing surface serves as both a football pitch (105 X 68 m) and a rugby pitch (115 X 70 m). The surface of the pitch is covered with GrassMaster hybrid turf. The pitch also featured an automatic sprinkler system. The water is supplied by a rainwater collection tank. To ensure a high-quality playing surface during the winter months, an electric heating system is built into the pitch’s foundations. Depending on the weather, mobile ultraviolet lights help support the turf’s growth.
The latest budget estimate for the “Stade de Luxembourg” is 76,603,623.91 euros including VAT. The project is subsidized by the Ministry of Sport, which has undertaken to cover a maximum sum of 40 million euros, which represents a little more than 50% of the total cost of the stadium.
In addition, the construction of a parking area has been estimated at 2.6 million euros, which will be financed 100% by the City of Luxembourg.
The “Stade de Luxembourg” has already hosted several competitions, including a first test match which was rather positive in mid-July, allowing 1,158 spectators, invited by the FLF, the Luxembourg Football Federation, to see the new stadium among the very first.
On September 1, the national football team played the first official match in the new stadium: a successful match for the “Rout Léiwen” as they beat Azerbaijan by 2-1 in a World Cup qualifying match! Six days later, Luxembourg and Qatar played out a 1:1-draw.
Just on Tuesday September 21, a match took place that the Luxembourgers will not forget. The “Red Lionesses” conceded no less than ten goals (0-10) in their first game at the “Stade de Luxembourg”, against England!
To kick off this very special event, His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri walked onto the pitch, alongside Fernand Etgen, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lydie Polfer, Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, and Dan Kersch, Minister for Sport. The Luxembourg Football Federation was officially represented by its President Paul Philipp and most of the members of its Board of Directors.
The official speeches punctuated a very festive opening ceremony, followed by dance performances and laser and light shows. Young sportsmen and women received a football and a rugby ball for the occasion.
The evening ended with the cutting of a cake bearing the effigy of the “Stade de Luxembourg” and the presentation to Grand Duke Henri of a gift box, including a jersey for his grandson Prince Charles bearing the inscription "Charles 1", as a souvenir of the inauguration of the new stadium.
Luxembourg's brand-new national football and rugby stadium is fully compliant with the latest standards in terms of comfort, technology and safety, and features an adjoining multi-purpose space designed to accommodate a wide range of sporting and cultural events.
The “Stade de Luxembourg” meets all the specifications for an UEFA category 4 stadium. Its capacity is 9,471 seats: 8,708 standard seats, 512 VIP sets, 27 VVIP sets, 174 press seats, 50 seats for people with reduced mobility.
Instantly recognizable owing to its distinctive architectural design, the stadium is a prominent feature in the skyline of the newly developed “Cloche d’Or” district. With its timeless architecture, it is the symbol of Luxembourg football.
As the stadium is set to host rugby and football matches alike, the playing surface serves as both a football pitch (105 X 68 m) and a rugby pitch (115 X 70 m). The surface of the pitch is covered with GrassMaster hybrid turf. The pitch also featured an automatic sprinkler system. The water is supplied by a rainwater collection tank. To ensure a high-quality playing surface during the winter months, an electric heating system is built into the pitch’s foundations. Depending on the weather, mobile ultraviolet lights help support the turf’s growth.
The latest budget estimate for the “Stade de Luxembourg” is 76,603,623.91 euros including VAT. The project is subsidized by the Ministry of Sport, which has undertaken to cover a maximum sum of 40 million euros, which represents a little more than 50% of the total cost of the stadium.
In addition, the construction of a parking area has been estimated at 2.6 million euros, which will be financed 100% by the City of Luxembourg.
The “Stade de Luxembourg” has already hosted several competitions, including a first test match which was rather positive in mid-July, allowing 1,158 spectators, invited by the FLF, the Luxembourg Football Federation, to see the new stadium among the very first.
On September 1, the national football team played the first official match in the new stadium: a successful match for the “Rout Léiwen” as they beat Azerbaijan by 2-1 in a World Cup qualifying match! Six days later, Luxembourg and Qatar played out a 1:1-draw.
Just on Tuesday September 21, a match took place that the Luxembourgers will not forget. The “Red Lionesses” conceded no less than ten goals (0-10) in their first game at the “Stade de Luxembourg”, against England!
News from the same category
