Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Many clubs around the world describe their home ground as a fortress, but the expression has been applied to many who simply do not deserve the title. Some clubs gain a significant advantage from playing at home, and it's often caused by intimidation to the opposition. Whether it's a hostile atmosphere, a huge stadium or another factor, some clubs perform significantly better when they're on their own pitch.
Clubs often dread the visit to Anfield and it gives a mental advantage to a Liverpool side before the game even starts. The raucous crowd, especially under the lights, can stun visitors and it generally means when the Reds are at home, it's usually worth backing them when betting on football.
With this in mind, let's take a look at the most intimidating stadia in world football.
The epitome of an intimidating atmosphere, La Bombonera – the home of Boca Juniors – provides some of the most unsettling surroundings for a football game anywhere in the world.
Situated in one of the poorer working-class regions of Buenos Aires, the 54,000 capacity stadium is usually beyond full capacity on any given matchday and it's unusual for it to be a quiet match. The stadium is not described as a thing, its considered sentient and the ground physically vibrates when the boisterous crowd chant and sing.
The Argentina based ground has always had a direct impact on the players with Boca legend Hernan Crespo once stating that he thought his legs were shaking until he realised it was the ground and concrete stands caused by the spectators bouncing! It's not just vibrations which can startle the players though, missiles and flares being set off are part and parcel of the matchday experience at Bombonera.
Boca frequently have one of the best home records in the league and it's no surprise as the crowd advantage is way beyond the chanting and clapping of typical supporters. All of these reasons and more are why it's been voted the best stadium in world football.
Have you ever had to speak or present in front of a few people? It's nerve wracking. Well imagine stepping onto the pitch and having to be at your best in front of almost 100,000 people who are whistling and trying to put you off. That's the reality of what opposition sides endure when they visit Camp Nou.
It's not only the immense ground and crowd you need to overcome however, it's also the team in front of you. FC Barcelona are famed for their style of play and their ball retention so once the opposition have come to terms with the spectators, they need to run themselves into the ground to get possession and hope they can make the most of the small time they'll have the ball.
If ever there was a need for more intimidation, the FC Barcelona museum is right outside and one quick look will show you that this stadium has been home to many World Footballer of the Year winners and that you'll be lucky to get a result.
The Westfalenstadion, more commonly known as Signal Iduna Park, is home to Borussia Dortmund. FIFA have classified the ground as an Elite stadium, meaning it can host finals of major club competitions.
Whilst the 81,365 capacity should be enough to make the Signal Iduna Park terrifying to opposition players in its own right, it's not what provides the fear factor.
The 'Yellow Wall' is the largest terrace for standing spectators across all of Europe, and holding almost 25,000 supporters on the stand alone makes it one of the truly unique experiences in football. The fans are intense and the huge South Bank clearly has an impact on opposition players. The fans are raucous and the furious football played by the yellow and black side makes it difficult for rivals to settle.
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