Dan Păltinișanu Stadium (1963)

The Dan Păltinișanu Stadium (Romanian: Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu) is a former multi-purpose stadium in Timișoara, Romania. It was the second-largest stadium in Romania, with a seating capacity of 32,972.[1] Until its closure in 2022, it was used mostly for football matches by the local team, SSU Politehnica Timișoara. The stadium was named after footballer Dan Păltinișanu (1951–1995) who played 10 seasons at FC Politehnica Timișoara.[2] The stadium will be demolished for the construction of a new arena with 32,000 seats.[3]

Dan Păltinișanu Stadium
The Great Oval (Marele Oval)
The stadium in 2009
Map
Former names1 May (1963–1990)
Politehnica (1990–1992)
Silviu Bindea (1992–1995)
Address7 FC Ripensia Alley
Timișoara
Romania
Coordinates45°44′25.65″N 21°14′39.1″E / 45.7404583°N 21.244194°E / 45.7404583; 21.244194
Public transitBus line E2
Trolleybus line 16
Tram line 9
OwnerTimiș County Council
Capacity32,972
Record attendance65,000 (Lepa Brena concert, 1984)
Field size105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft)
SurfaceGrass
ScoreboardYes
Construction
Broke ground25 July 1960
Built1960–1963
Opened1 May 1963
Renovated1985, 2002, 2008
Closed25 February 2022
Tenants
FC Politehnica Timișoara (1963–2012)
ACS Poli Timișoara (2012–2020)
SSU Politehnica Timișoara (2014–present)
SCM Rugby Timișoara (2014–present)

History

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The stadium was officially inaugurated on 1 May 1963,[4] then named 1 May. The construction of the stadium was done with the workers from the city's factories.[5] Its structure was similar to the one used to build most of the Romanian stadiums of that time, i.e. compacted earth. This constructive solution proved to be extremely problematic, as the compaction of the earth over time led to the deterioration of the stadium.[5] The original capacity was 40,000 on benches, but in 2005, when the plastic seats were installed, the capacity was reduced to 32,972. The floodlighting system, with a density of 1,456 lx,[1] was inaugurated in 2003, at a match against Petrolul Ploiești.[6] Following two general renovations, in 2002 and 2008, the venue was able to host UEFA Champions League games. It was a four-star establishment with all the facilities required for the team, internet for the press room, 30 cameras for video surveillance, electrically heated pitch, an automated irrigation system and a modern scoreboard.

The Romania national football team were also a tenant. The first game played by the national team at Dan Păltinișanu was in March 1983 against Yugoslavia. Since then another six games were played, the last one in March 2010 against Israel.

The stadium has long been in an advanced state of degradation,[7] and will be demolished to make way for a new arena with 32,000 seats. It was finally closed on 25 February 2022, as it no longer met the quality standards.[8] The last event on the stadium was a Liga 2 match between Poli Timișoara and Petrolul Ploiești during which the floodlight dimmed twice and thus the city team lost at the "green table".[9]

Events

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Association football

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International football matches
Date Competition Home Away Score Attendance
30 March 1983 Friendly   Romania   Yugoslavia 0–2 ~25,000
28 August 1985 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification   Romania   Finland 2–0 ~35,000
23 April 1986 Friendly   Romania   Soviet Union 2–1 ~25,000
20 November 2002 Friendly   Romania   Croatia 0–1 ~38,000
6 June 2007 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying   Romania   Slovenia 2–0 27,850
3 March 2010 Friendly   Romania   Israel 0–2 ~18,000

Concerts

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Date Artist Tour Attendance
10 August 1984   Lepa Brena Bato, Bato Tour 65,000[10]
17 July 2006   Shakira Oral Fixation Tour 30,000

References

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  1. ^ a b Matei, Alina (21 July 2015). "Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu". Merg.În.
  2. ^ "Dan Păltinişanu, un nume de legendă: bunicul fotbalist, tatăl baschetbalist. Ce va fi nepotul?" [Dan Paltinisanu, a legendary name: the footballer grandfather, the basketballer father. What will the nephew be?] (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Timișoara va avea un nou stadion! Când va fi gata noua "bijuterie" din Banat în care se vor investi 120 de milioane de euro". sport.ro. 10 June 2021.
  4. ^ Silaghi, Vali (1 May 2010). "47 de ani de istorie pe stadionul "Dan Păltinișanu"". Adevărul.
  5. ^ a b Bloancă, Robert (1 May 2014). "Povestea celui mai mare stadion din Banat, care își serbează ziua pe 1 Mai". Adevarul.
  6. ^ "Istoria clubului Poli Timișoara". Ziare.com. 25 May 2008.
  7. ^ "Imaginile degradării pe un stadion din România » Cum a ajuns să arate una dintre arenele-simbol din fotbalul nostru". gsp.ro. 23 February 2021.
  8. ^ Dumitru, Silviu (25 February 2022). "Stadionul "Dan Păltinișanu" din Timișoara își închide porțile – Locația nu mai întrunește standardele de calitate". HotNews.ro.
  9. ^ Anghel, Marius (24 February 2022). "Timișoara în beznă! Nocturna de pe "Dan Păltinișanu" a picat de două ori și Petrolul va câștiga la "masa verde" meciul cu Poli Timișoara". Liga 2.
  10. ^ Both, Ștefan (16 September 2023). "Cântăreața iugoslavă care a înnebunit România în anii '80. Concertul ei de la Timișoara din 1984, de neuitat". Adevărul.

See also

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