Azadi Stadium

{{About|a stadium in Tehran|the stadium in Kermanshah|Azadi Stadium (Kermanshah)|the metro station in Tehran|Azadi Stadium Metro Station}}

{{Infobox venue

| name = Azadi Stadium

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| nickname =

| logo_image =

| logo_size =

| logo_caption =

| image = Azadi Stadium ACL 2018.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Azadi Stadium during the 2018 AFC Champions League semi-finals

| fullname = Azadi Stadium{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/video/video=516514/index.html|title=Azadi Stadium Guide |publisher=fifa.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012024723/https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/video/video=516514/index.html|access-date=20 March 2015|archive-date=12 October 2013}}

| former names = Aryamehr Stadium (1971–1979)

| location = Tehran, Iran

| owner = Ministry of Sport and Youth of Iran

| operator = Azadi Sport Complex
Tehran Municipality

| capacity = 78,116 (2016–present){{cite web|url=http://www.varzesh3.com/news/1343025/22-%D9%87%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B8%D8%B1%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%A2%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%AF|title=22 هزار نفر از ظرفیت آزادی کم شد :: ورزش سه|website=www.varzesh3.com|access-date=3 April 2018}}
{{small|84,412 (2012–2016){{cite web|url=http://www.teammelli.com/ticlesarchived/azadi-stadium/|title=Azadi Stadium | TeamMelli|date=15 June 2013 |publisher=teammelli.com|access-date=20 March 2015}}
95,225 (2003–2012)
100,000 (1971–2003)}}

| record_attendance = 128,000
{{small|{{flagicon|Iran|1980}} Iran vs. {{flagicon|Australia}} Australia}}

| dimensions = {{convert|110|x|75|m|abbr=on}}

| acreage =

| surface = Desso GrassMaster

| scoreboard = 104 m² jumbotron

| broke_ground = 1 October 1970

| built = 1970–1971 (1 year)

| opened = {{start date|1971|10|17|df=yes}}

| renovated = 2002–2003
2023–ongoing

| expanded =

| closed =

| demolished =

| cost = 2,578,183,966 tomans ({{€|400,163,944}})

| architect = Abdol-Aziz Mirza Farmanfarmaian

| project_manager = Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

| structural engineer = James Raymond Whittle

| services engineer =

| general_contractor =

| main_contractors =

| tenants = {{Unbulleted list|Esteghlal (1973–present)|Persepolis (1973–present)|Iran national football team (1975–present)}}

| website = {{URL|http://www.azadisportcomplex.com}}

}}

The Azadi Stadium ({{langx|fa|ورزشگاه آزادی|Varzeshgâh-e Âzâdi}}, {{IPA|fa|væɹzeʃˈɡɒːhe ɒːzɒːˈdiː|pron}}), opened as the Aryamehr Stadium ({{langx|fa|ورزشگاه آریامهر|Varzeshgâh-e Âryâmehr|link=no}}), is an all-seater football stadium in Tehran, Iran. The stadium was designed by Abdol Aziz Mirza Farman-Farmaian Architects and Associates (AFFA) with other parts of the sports complex based on plans by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, an American architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. It was inaugurated on 17 October 1971 by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the late Shah of Iran; it is currently self-owned by Esteghlal and Persepolis. It is also the home stadium of the Iran national football team. It has a capacity of 78,116 spectators, as the result of conversion to all-seater stadium. The stadium is part of the larger Azadi Sport Complex.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Aryamehr (meaning "Light of the Aryans") was the title of the Shah; it was renamed after the Iranian Revolution to Azadi (meaning "freedom" in Persian). It is the largest association football stadium in Western Asia. It was built to host the 1974 Asian Games and has hosted the 1976 AFC Asian Cup. The stadium also hosted five finals of Asian Club Competitions: three finals of AFC Champions League in 1999, 2002 and 2018 and two finals of Asian Cup Winners' Cup in 1991 and 1993. Azadi Stadium also hosted WAFF Championship Tournament in 2004 and 2008.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Because of the loud sound of vuvuzelas, similar to the sound of bees, the stadium is sometimes referred to as a "Bee swarm".[https://bugaga.ru/interesting/1146739967-25-samyh-pugayuschih-stadionov-v-mire.html bugaga.ru — 25 самых пугающих стадионов в мире (25 Most intimidating stadiums in the world)] In Russian

Location

The stadium is located in the West of Tehran, near Ekbatan district.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

History

File:Azadi Stadium VIP entrance.jpg

The Azadi Stadium was constructed by Arme Construction Company and designed by Aziz Farman-Farmaian's architecture firm, AFFA, for the 1974 Asian Games with international criteria. It replaced the Amjadieh Stadium as the new home of Iran's national football team.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The stadium was built as part of a much larger complex which included numerous Olympic-sized venues for various sports, laying the groundwork for ambitious plans for Tehran to make a bid to host the Summer Olympics. In August 1975, the Iranian Shah, Tehran's Mayor and the Iranian Olympic Committee submitted a formal letter to the International Olympic Committee, notifying it of Iran's interest in hosting the 1984 Summer Games.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160826043752/http://library.la84.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1975/ore95/ore95zb.pdf http://library.la84.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1975/ore95/ore95zb.pdf] The stadium was the focal point for the bid. But political unrest in the late-1970s saw Tehran drop its bid for Games, leaving the eventual host, Los Angeles, the only city left bidding.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Renovations first began on the stadium in 2002. Stadium management also planned to later install seats in the upper level of the stadium. Those renovations were completed in 2003, and brought down the capacity of the stadium to well under 100,000. Later upgrades to the stadium brought it down to its current capacity of 78,116. Despite its reduced capacity, Azadi Stadium has been filled over capacity at times such as the Iran-Japan FIFA World Cup 2006 qualification match in March 2005 which resulted in the deaths of seven people.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

In 2004 a large jumbotron television was added, replacing the original scoreboard. The stadium hosted two West Asian Football Federation Championship in 2004 and 2008. In 2008, AFC forced Sepahan to play the home matches in AFC Champions League in this stadium after their home stadium Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium was closed for renovation. The stadium also is the regular host for Iran U-23 for the Olympics football qualifying.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

In recent years the Iranian Football Federation has repeatedly submitted bids to host the AFC Asian Cup, which Iran last hosted in 1976. But some officials have hinted that rules in Iran banning women from stadiums like Azadi have kept international sports organizations from staging events there.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/soccer/league-name/story/2334220/headline|title=Blatter: Iran must end stadium ban on women|website=espn.com|date=6 March 2015|access-date=3 April 2018}} Iranian women have been banned from watching matches at Azadi Stadium since 1982.{{cite web|last=Payne|first=Marissa|date=11 July 2017|title=Iranian soccer stars call on government to repeal ban on women in stadiums|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/07/11/iranian-soccer-stars-call-on-government-to-repeal-ban-on-women-in-stadiums/|access-date=3 April 2018|website=washingtonpost|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}

Events

1974 Asian Games (Tehran 1974) and Opening and closing ceremony of tournament
1976 AFC Asian Cup and Opening and closing ceremony of tournament
1978 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations Final-1Leg
1990–91 Asian Cup Winners' Cup Final-2st Leg
1991 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations Final-1Leg
1992–93 Asian Cup Winners' Cup Final-2nd Leg
1993 Afro-Asian Club Championship Final-1Leg
1993 ECO Cup
1997 West Asian Games were held at the stadium.
1998 LG Cup
1998–99 Asian Club Championship Semifinals, Third place match and Final
2001–02 Asian Club Championship Semifinals, Third place match and Final
2000–01 Asian Club Championship all Quarter-finals of West of Asia
2003 AFC–OFC Challenge Cup
2001 LG Cup
2002 LG Cup
2003 LG Cup
2004 WAFF Championship
2008 WAFF Championship
2010 Solidarity Games in Tehran
In November 1975, Frank Sinatra held a concert at Aryamehr Stadium.
The 2006 film, "Offside" (the winner of the Silver bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2006) directed by Jafar Panahi and starring Sima Mobarak Shahi and Ida Sadeghi, about girls trying to get into the stadium to watch a football match, was filmed there.
Azadi Stadium also hosted Ferdousi festival in May 2013.
2015 Women's Islamic Games were held at the stadium.
2018 AFC Champions League Final-2nd Leg

Nominated for

1984 Summer Olympics and Opening and closing ceremony of tournament{{Cite web |date=2020-04-13 |title=مروری بر گذشته؛ ایران و میزبانی هایی که از دست رفت ؛ رویای تلخ المپیک 1984 و جام جهانی 1990 |url=https://www.tarafdari.com/node/1595248 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=طرفداری |language=fa}}{{Cite web |title=40 سال پس از المپیک 1984؛ جشنواره‌ای که از تهران به لس‌انجلس رفت! |url=https://football360.ir/post/202407281/40-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%BE%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%BE%DB%8C%DA%A9-1984-%D9%81%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3-%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=فوتبال 360}}{{Cite web |title=روزی که تهران میزبان المپیک شد(عکس) |url=https://www.varzesh3.com/news/1346759/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B2%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%BE%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D8%B9%DA%A9%D8%B3 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=ورزش سه |language=fa}}
1990 FIFA World Cup{{Cite web |date=2020-04-13 |title=مروری بر گذشته؛ ایران و میزبانی هایی که از دست رفت ؛ رویای تلخ المپیک 1984 و جام جهانی 1990 |url=https://www.tarafdari.com/node/1595248 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=طرفداری |language=fa}}
2011 AFC Asian Cup, 2019 AFC Asian Cup, 2027 AFC Asian Cup

Building and facilities

The architect of the stadium was Abdolaziz Farmanfarmaian, with some parts of the complex done in partnership with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. At the beginning, the stadium had a maximum capacity of 120,000 visitors but was decreased to 84,000 after renovations in 2003. On the big occasions the crowd swells well beyond that. The structural engineer and project manager for the building of the stadium was James Raymond Whittle from England.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Transportation

There is enough parking for 400 cars inside the stadium, and an additional 10,000 parking spots are available outside.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Record attendance

The record attendance at Azadi Stadium is over 128,000 during a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Australia.{{cite web|title=Classic Football Matches Qualifiers |url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/matches/qualifiers/match=8705/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425053310/https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/matches/qualifiers/match=8705/index.html|archive-date=25 April 2013|access-date=20 March 2015|website=FIFA|publisher=fifa.com}}