Maksimir Stadium

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Maksimir

Full name	Stadion u Maksimiru
Nickname	Maksimir
Built	1912
Opened	May 5, 1912
Capacity	approximately 40,000; 52,000 after renovation which will start in January 2007 and will end in 2008
Home of	Dinamo Zagreb

Maksimir Stadium (official name: "Maksimirski stadion", English: "Maksimir's stadium") is a stadium in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Maksimir. It is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top football team in the country.

The stadium was first opened May 5, 1912. Over its history it has gone through many facelifts, but starting in 1997 it received a major rebuilding that lifted its seating capacity to approximately 40,000. Many of the Croatian national football team's games are played at Maksimir, which competes with Poljud stadium for the biggest matches.

There have been plans to further expand the stadium to seat approximately 60,000 spectators, as well as to build a roof, but in 2004 they were temporarily suspended. In 2006, the German firm Alpine presented new plans for Maksimir. The firm will take the stadium for 15 years under concession, in exchange for reconstructing it at the cost of €150 million. Renovation works are to start in winter 2006, with completion planned for 2008. The stadium will have a capacity of over 52,000 seats and a retractable roof.