Stadionul Giuleşti-Valentin Stănescu

Giuleşti-Valentin Stănescu Stadium is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania and is the home stadium of Rapid Bucureşti.

The stadium is named after Valentin Stănescu, the coach that helped Rapid to win its first title, but it is still commonly known as the "Giuleşti Stadium", after the name of the neighborhood in which it is located. Landmarks near the stadium include Podul Grant, Giuleşti Theatre, Gara de Nord and the Griviţa Railway Yards.

History

Construction started in the year 1936 and the stadium was inaugurated on 10 June 1939. At the time, it was the most modern stadium in Romania, a smaller replica of Arsenal's Highbury Stadium, with a capacity of 12,160 seats. Among the guests at the opening ceremony King Carol II of Romania, Prince Mihai of Romania and Prince Paul of Greece.

Replacement of the north stand was completed in the mid-1990s, increasing the capacity to 19,100 seats. The stadium was renovated again in 2003.

Since the summer of 2004 the stadium has been administered by Rapid Bucureşti. In May 2008, the team announced plans to demolish the current stadium, and replace it with a brand new state-of-the-art multi-purpose stadium. The new stadium will hold 30,000 spectators and will offer the facilities of a world class stadium. Construction was scheduled to begin in 2009, and the first match was to be played in 2011.

Romanian national football team

The following national team matches were held in the stadium:

See also

• List of football stadiums in Romania

External links

• Giuleşti Stadium