Teddy Stadium

Teddy Stadium (Hebrew: אצטדיון טדי) is a sports stadium in the Malha neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel. Three football teams currently use the stadium: Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Jerusalem, and the Israel national football team for select home matches.

Teddy Stadium
UEFA
LocationJerusalem, Israel
Public transit Green Line (Jerusalem Light Rail)
OwnerJerusalem Municipality
OperatorAriel Municipal Company Ltd.
Capacity34,000[1]
Field size105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground1990
Opened1991
Renovated1997–1998, 2011–2013, 2018–2020
Construction cost$ 60 million
ArchitectYossi Ben Naim
Pascual Broid
Tenants
Beitar Jerusalem (1991–present)
Hapoel Jerusalem (1991–present)
Israel national football team (selected matches)

The stadium is named after long-time Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, who was in office during the time of its construction and was one of its prominent advocates.

History
Location of the stadium,[2] which was built in 1990, in the context of a 1940s map of the historical village of Maliha (today known as Malha). The stadium is referred to by Israeli Arabs as "Maliha stadium",[3] and its location on the village land of Maliha has brought controversy.[4][5]
Teddy Stadium of Jerusalem, the largest stadium of the Israel national football team

For Beitar, the stadium was a major upgrade after years of playing at the YMCA Stadium, nicknamed "The Sandbox". In the first stage, only the west and east sides of the stadium were built, giving it a capacity of 14,500. In 1999, work was finished on a north side which contains capacity of 8000 seats.

The stadium itself is one of the newest in Israel and one of the few that are close to meeting all European standards. It is accessible to the disabled, has modern bathrooms, and has ample concession stands, a combination that is very difficult to find in many Israeli stadiums. The stadium has 5,000 parking spots on its premises, and is connected to the Malha Mall and its parking facilities by a pedestrian bridge.

The stadium is located at the Begin Expressway and just past the Malha Train Station, which ensures convenient road and rail access to the rest of Israel.

With stands close to the pitch and excellent acoustics, Teddy Stadium has hosted several Israel national football team matches, the Maccabiah Games opening ceremony, and other public events.

A south side stand was completed on June 3, 2013, increasing seating capacity to 34,000.

Teddy Stadium was one of the venues for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and hosted the tournament's final match.

The first official match of the Israel national football team in the new stadium was played on March 31, 2015. Israel hosted the Belgium national football team in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match and lost the match by a score of 0–1.

Israel was chosen to host The 2021 IFAF Flag Football World Championship which were played at Teddy Stadium after feared high winds at the original venue, The Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem.

Supporters

During Beitar matches, the La Familia group occupies the eastern sections of the stadium. They are known for being the most vocal and controversial of fans in the venue.[6][7]

Renovations

In September 2016 a new solar system which can produce 639 kW was installed on the roof of the stadium.[8]

In mid-2018 the Jerusalem municipality announced the start of a 25 million ₪ upgrade of the stadium. The dressing rooms and players warm-up hall were renovated, ergonomic seats were installed and a professional sound system was built.

The second phase of the renovation began in February 2019, and was completed in August 2020.[9]These renovations included:

  • New roof for the south stand.
  • Extension of the solar system on the south stand roof.
  • Installation of new LED lights show system around the stadium.
  • New 8 VIP boxes in the west stand.

Jerusalem municipality allocated 30 million ₪ more for further improvements in 2021/2022:[10]

  • Replacement of 6000 remaining old seats in the north stand with new modern seats.
  • Extension of the new sound system on the south stand roof.
  • Moving the big LED screen from the east stand to the south stand.
  • Replacement of the old stadium lighting with new LED lights system.
  • Construction of new shops and restaurants outside the north-east stand.

International matches
DateResultCompetitionAttendance
12 February 1992 Israel1–2 CISFriendly2,000
29 November 1994 Israel4–3 CyprusFriendly4,000
20 September 1995 Israel3–1 UruguayFriendly8,000
22 January 1997 Israel1–1 GreeceFriendly500
15 April 1998 Israel2–1 ArgentinaFriendly14,000
24 February 1999 Israel2–0 LatviaFriendly6,000
9 February 2003 Israel3–3 CroatiaFriendly4,000
14 November 2012 Israel1–2 BelarusFriendly8,000
6 June 2013 Spain1–0 Russia2013 Euro U-2110,000
9 June 2013 Netherlands5–1 Russia2013 Euro U-217,500
11 June 2013 Israel1–0 England2013 Euro U-2122,150
18 June 2013 Spain4–2 Italy2013 Euro U-2129,300
31 March 2015 Israel0–1 BelgiumUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying29,750
13 October 2015 Israel1–2 CyprusUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying25,300
9 October 2016 Israel2–1 Liechtenstein2018 FIFA World Cup qualification9,000
9 October 2017 Israel0–1 Spain2018 FIFA World Cup qualification28,700
21 May 2019[11] Beitar Jerusalem2–1 Atlético MadridClub Friendlies30,000
16 November 2019 Israel1–2 PolandUEFA Euro 2020 qualifying16,700
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2007
  • 2011
  • 2015

See also

References
  1. "Ariel - The official municipal management organization of Jerusalem".
  2. Satellite Images Show How Israel Changed Over 40 Years, Haaretz, Sep. 15, 2013: "Alongside it, the hills have filled up with new neighborhoods such as Ramat Beit Hakerem, Ramat Sharett and the new section of Malha... In the 1970 photograph, Kiryat Yovel is Jerusalem’s frontier. Beyond it are only wadis and ancient terraces. In the new photograph, that area has become one of the thriving parts of the city — the green quarter at the lower right-hand corner is Teddy Stadium, with the Malha Mall opposite, and the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo down the road."
  3. Arab MK welcomes cancellation of Argentina soccer game, Jun 6, 2018; Arutz Sheva, ""I congratulate the Argentine team on its decision to cancel the game at Al-Maliha Stadium," tweeted Zahalka, referencing the name the Arabs use to call the Teddy Stadium, where the game was to have been played."
  4. Beitar cancels Barcelona match after demand to not have game in Jerusalem, July 15, 2021; Jerusalem Post: "Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub received a letter from Laport about the match planned in Jerusalem on August 4 “in a stadium built on the ruins of the Palestinian village of al-Malha, whose residents were forcibly expelled and displaced in refugee camps,” Wafa reported."
  5. Argentina cancel friendly in Israel amid protests, officials say, ESPN, 2018: "The game had been a subject of controversy as it was set to be played in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Malha, which is situated on the site of a former Palestinian village destroyed during the war that established Israel 70 years ago."
  6. Goldblatt, David (23 April 2008). "Football and politics in the Holy City". BBC Radio 4's Crossing Continents. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  7. Heller, Aron (20 January 2012). "Israeli club paying price for racist fans". Associated Press.
  8. "Jerusalem: Teddy Stadium goes solar – StadiumDB.com". stadiumdb.com.
  9. "סופי: ביולי 2019, היציע הדרומי באצטדיון טדי ייקורה". 25 February 2019.
  10. "אצטדיון טדי ישופץ ב-30 מיליון שח". YNET. 13 January 2020.
  11. "Beitar Jerusalem vs. Atletico Madrid - Football Match Stats - May 21, 2019 - ESPN". ESPN.com.

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