Albania open new national stadium

Tuesday 19th November 2019

Albania have officially opened their new national stadium with a 2-0 defeat against France.

The new stadium in the capital Tirana will be referred to as the Arena Kombetare (National Arena) and is built on the site of the old Stadiumi Qemal Stafa.

The new ground holds 22,000 fans and cost €75m to build. It will be the home of Albania's national football team we as hosting national cup finals and non-sporting events.

The stadium also includes a 100 metre tall tower which will be home to a new Marriott hotel.

Things didn't go quite to plan at the initial opening though - a sprinkler malfunctioned, leaving hundreds of fans soaked through:

Tonight is the 1st ever match in Albania’s new stadium in Tirana. It’s fair to say that there are still some wrinkles to iron out. pic.twitter.com/gwTIr7UpZw
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) November 17, 2019

About the Author: Rob Clarkson

Rob is the owner of footballgroundmap.com. A Sheffield United fan and father of two, Rob loves nothing more than a good game of football whether that's watching the Blades or one his local non-League teams. He's somewhat of a traditionalist, preferring the older grounds to newer purpose-built ones.

Away from this website, Rob works as an Ecommerce Development Project Manager for one of the UK's largest clothing retailers.

Sheffield United supporter • 104 grounds visited • 58/92