Elbasan Arena

Elbasan Arena

Location	Qemal Stafa Boulevard, Elbasan Albania
Coordinates	41°06′57.15″N 20°05′31.17″E / 41.1158750°N 20.0919917°E / 41.1158750; 20.0919917Coordinates: 41°06′57.15″N 20°05′31.17″E / 41.1158750°N 20.0919917°E / 41.1158750; 20.0919917
Owner	KF Elbasani
Operator	KF Elbasani Albania national football team
Capacity	12,800[1]
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	1967
Renovated	2004 2014[2]
Construction cost	€5.5 million (only for the 2014 renovation)[3]
Tenants
KF Elbasani Albania

Elbasan Arena (Albanian: Elbasan Arena, formerly known as Ruzhdi Bizhuta) is a multi-purpose stadium in Elbasan, Albania. The stadium was completed in 1967 and has been the home ground of KF Elbasani ever since. The stadium was under reconstruction and was officially inaugurated on October 8, 2014 in time for the match against Denmark, valid for the qualifiers of UEFA Euro 2016, with total capacity of 12,800,^[1] making it the 3rd largest in Albania, after the Qemal Stafa Stadium in Tirana, and Loro Boriçi Stadium in Shkodër.^[4]

History

The stadium was built in the 60s and opened in 1967 while KF Elbasani (then named KF Labinoti Elbasan) were playing the old Kategoria e parë, which is now the Albanian Superliga.

2014 renovation for the national team

In January 2014, it was confirmed that the Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium would host the home games of the Albanian national team while the demolition and reconstruction of the Qemal Stafa Stadium was taking place. Ruzhdi Bizhuta would host Albania's home games for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying stage, but only after a renovation of the existing stadium is completed.

Tifo at Elbasan Arena

In January 2014 the renovation costs were estimated at €2 million, €300,000 of which the Albanian Football Association would be paying for and the remaining €1 million would be paid for by the Albanian government. Prime minister Edi Rama visited the stadium on 28 January 2014 as part of his visit to the city of Elbasan, which is where he made the announcement confirming that the Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium would replace Qemal Stafa as the national team's home ground temporarily.^[5][6][7]

The renovation of the stadium to meet the requirements of UEFA began in February 2014. The changing rooms for the players and the match officials will be reconstructed, a conference room will be built, emergency vehicle entrance to the ground will be made easier and a new executive seating area will be created, with 400 seats. The stadium lighting was replaced with new floodlights and new electric scoreboards will be fitted, as well as electronic ticket turnstiles. The pitch was completely re-turfed and there will be 12,500 seats installed.^[8] It was planned completed in October 2014, and the inauguration ceremony took place on 8 October 2014, only 8 months after the beginning of the work. The total cost at the end of the renovation was €5.5 million ^[3]

References