Football stage in Munich
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How the Allianz Arena became an NFL stadium
Munich On Sunday, the NFL will play a main round game in Germany for the first time. The conversion work in Munich’s Allianz Arena has been underway since the summer.
Bigger changing rooms, new goals and more screens: Since June, the Allianz Arena has been remodeled to turn FC Bayern Munich’s home ground into a football stage for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. On Sunday, the first NFL main round game will take place in Germany in front of around 67,000 fans.
“The most important activity was pouring concrete in the summer and extending Bayern’s field,” said Germany’s NFL boss, Alexander Steinforth. The NFL is usually played on a grass field that is around 110 meters long (including the end zones) and 50 meters wide. For comparison: a soccer field in the Bundesliga is 105 meters long and 68 meters wide. Since the run-off zones are relatively short, baffles in front of the fences should protect the players.
The team areas also had to be enlarged, and the substitute benches lengthened. Instead of a football squad of around 20 players, around 65 team members have to be taken care of on Sunday. There were further adjustments in the dressing rooms. “We removed walls and installed new showers. That way we can make sure we have room for everyone,” Steinforth said.
In the goal areas, holes about one and a half meters deep were drilled for the field goals. At the same time, the previously cast-in frame for the football goals was replaced in order to be able to switch more easily between the two goal variants in the future. The next NFL game is scheduled to take place in the Munich Arena in 2024.
The stadium must be completely neutralized by Sunday. “All advertising space will be replaced and of course the lawn will have to be painted,” said Steinforth. Neither the NFL nor the Allianz Arena provided any information on the total costs for the conversion measures.
The league also has special requirements in terms of technical equipment. Six additional camera platforms were installed for the transmission and many small LED screens were attached. “We planned, coordinated and built everything here within around nine months,” said Jürgen Muth, Managing Director of the Allianz Arena.
Here is the photo gallery: Conversion work in the Allianz Arena
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