Stadion Gradski vrt

Gradski vrt

(City Garden)
Full name	Stadion Gradski vrt
Location	Osijek, Croatia
Coordinates	45°32′42″N 18°41′45″E
Owner	City of Osijek
Operator	Športski objekti d.d.
Capacity	18,856
Field size	106x69 m
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	1980
Renovated	2005, 2010
Tenants
NK Osijek (1980–present)

Gradski vrt (City Garden) is a multi-use stadium in the Croatian city of Osijek. It is home to two Croatian football clubs, NK Osijek and Fortuna VNO Osijek.

It has a capacity of 22,050 (19,350 for seating and 2,700 for standing).

History

Construction started in 1949, but works were stopped several times. The first match played on the ground of Gradski Vrt was played between NK Osijek and FK Sloboda Tuzla on 7 September 1958. In 1980, the stadium was officially opened.

In 1982, the record of stadium attendance was broken, on the football match between NK Osijek and Dinamo Zagreb. At that match, there were 40,000 attendants. The result was 1–2.

In 1998 seats and reflectors were installed. In 2005, the stadium was renovated. Under the west stand, VIP rooms were set and the lodge was rearranged, adding 1,000 new seats. The athletics track was reconstructed, repainted from red to blue. After this renovation, the stadium has fulfilled UEFA's stadium criteria. In the same year, the stadium was a part of Croatia and Hungary's failed bid for the 2012 European Football Championship. At that time a project of a new stadium with a larger capacity was presented.

In 2010, the stadium was again repaired: the pitch was relaid, fences were painted and the seats were numbered. The reason was a friendly match between Croatia and Wales, which was held on 23 May that year.

In May 2016, the stadium will be hosting the Croatian Cup final.

International fixtures

Date	Competition	Opponent	Score	Att.	Ref
Croatia (1990–present)
000000001996-04-10-000010 April 1996	Friendly	Hungary	4–1	15,000	[1]
000000001998-04-22-000022 April 1998	Friendly	Poland	4–1	20,000	[2]
000000002001-03-24-000024 March 2001	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification	Latvia	4–1	13,345	[3]
000000002002-09-07-00007 September 2002	UEFA Euro 2004 qualification	Estonia	0–0	10,000	[4]
000000002006-05-28-000028 May 2006	Friendly	Iran	2–2	20,000	[5]
000000002010-05-23-000023 May 2010	Friendly	Wales	2–0	15,000	[6]
000000002012-10-16-000016 October 2012	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification	Wales	2–0	18,000	[7]
000000002014-05-31-000031 May 2014	Friendly	Mali	3-1	15,700	[8]
000000002014-10-13-000013 October 2014	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification	Azerbaijan	6-0	16,020	[9]
000000002016-03-23-000023 March 2016	Friendly	Israel	2-0	15,000	[10]

Gallery

• 

  West stand (before 2005 renovation)

• 

  East stand (after 2005 renovation)

• 

  East stand (after 2005 renovation)

External links

• Stadion Gradski vrt at Stadium Guide