Johan cruyff arena stadium guide Continue This article is about Ajax Stadium. At FC Barcelona Stadium, see Johann Cruyff Arena De ArenaUEF Full nameJohan Cruyff ArenAFormer NamesAmsterdam Arena (1996-2018)LocationArenA Boulevard 1, 1101 AX Amsterdam, NetherlandsCoordinates52'18'51N 4'56'31E / 52.31417'N 4.94194'E / 52.31417; 4.94194Coordinates: 52'18'51N 4'56'31E / 52.31417'N 4.94194'E / 52.31417; 4.94194 OwnerGemeente Amsterdam Stadium Amsterdam N.V.Executive Suites76'1'Capacity55,500'1'71,000 (concerts)Record attendance54,874 (Ajax 1 -2 Real Madrid on 13 February 2019)Field size105 x 68 mSurfacePlayMaster Hybrid Grass by Tarkett SportsConstructionBuilt1993-1996Pens14 August 1996; 24 years ago (1996-08-14)Building cost 140 million poundsTenentsFutbolAFC Ajax (1996-present)Netherlands national football team (selected matches)American FootballAmsterdam Admirals (1997-2007) Johan Cruyff Common Career Coaching Career Style of Play and Views on Game Influence and Legacy Personal Career Stats Difference History Ajax (Gloria Ajax) History of FC Barcelona (Team Dreams, Laporta-era Cruyffistas) History of the Netherlands national football team (Clockwork Orange) Total Football (Totaalvoetbal) Tiki-taka (Tiki-taka) Juego de posici'n Rondo False Nine role Sweeper-keeper role Cruyff 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 system Cruyffian passing triangle-touch football-entertainment-style in football Ajax School (also known as Amsterdam School or Totaalvoetbal School) Youth Academy Ajax (De Toekomst) FC Barcelona Youth Academy (La Masia) Football in the Netherlands Football in Spain Related People Vic Buckingham Rinus Micah Michaela Basten Frank Rikaard Jordi Cruyff Oscar Garcia Michael Laudrup Hristo Stoichkov Well Yoan Laporta Sandro Rozelle Hesperia Mutin (El Mote de l'Hesperia/El Motan del Hesperia) Namesakes Cruif Turn (Cruiff Turn) Johann Cruijff Schaal Ff Trophy Johan Cruyff Institute Johan Cruyff Foundation Cruyffian School of Football (also known as Barca-Ajax School or School of Barsajaks) stadium Johan Cruif (Est Johan Cruif) Johann Cruif Arena (Johanijff ArenA) 14282 Cruijff Works and about bibliography of filmography In popular culture Wikicitat Johan Cruif Arena (Dutch: Johan Cruijff Arena (Dutch: Johan Cruijff Arena (ˈjoːɦɑn ˈkrœyf aːˌreːnaː Dutch: Johan Cruijff Arena); officially stylized as Johan Cruijff ArenA) is the main stadium of the Dutch capital and the home stadium of Ajax Football Club since its opening. Built from 1993 to 1996 at a price equivalent to 140 million euros, it is the largest stadium in the country. The stadium was formerly known as the Amsterdam Arena (stylized as Amsterdam ArenA) until the 2018-19 football season, when it was officially renamed in honour of legendary Dutch footballer Johann Cruyff, who died in March 2016. It was one of the stadiums used during Euro 2000, and also hosted the 1998 UEFA Champions League final and the 2013 Europa League final. The stadium will also host three group stage matches and one match of the Euro 2020 finals, which has been postponed to the summer of 2021. Both international and Dutch artists have performed at the stadium, including Coldplay, Take That, Celine Dion, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Andre Hazez, David Bowie, AC/DC, One Direction, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Rihanna. Sensation dance event was held at the stadium every year, until the final edition in 2017. The stadium has a retractable roof combined with a grass surface. It has a capacity of 55,500 people during football matches, and 68,000 people during concerts if the center of the installation stage is used (scene in the middle of the field); for concerts on the final stage, the capacity is 50,000 people, and for the concerts for which the stage is located in the eastern part of the stadium, the capacity is 35,000 people. It was awarded the status of a five-star UEFA stadium, which was subject to a new classification system. The history of the Johan Cruyff Arena, with its retractable roof open and closed by Amsterdam, was one of six cities that bid to host the 1992 Summer Olympics. In 1986, a new Olympic stadium with a football field and track of track was designed. It was to be built in the Strandvlit area of Amsterdam's Kuidust. After Amsterdam lost the bid to Barcelona in October 1986, plans for a new stadium were abandoned. In 1987, Stichting Amsterdam Sportstad (English: Amsterdam Sports City Foundation) was established, which drew up new plans for the construction of a sports stadium with a capacity of 55,000 people. In 1990, a new design was made based on both previous designs, with a football field, track, and completely covered roof. By this time Ajax needed a new stadium, as their previous home ground, De Meer, was too small for most of Ajax's games. Within a few years, Ajax moved their more important games to the Olympic Stadium; In practice, they played all their European matches and big night games in midweek at the Olympisch Stadium. Once again the design was changed - the track was removed, the capacity was reduced to 50,000 seats, and the fixed roof was replaced by a retractable roof. In 1992, the government sanctioned plans to build a stadium with public transport. In 1993, the Government of Amsterdam changed the development plan for the site and issued a permit for the construction of the stadium. The first pile of the stadium's foundation was installed on November 26, 1993. The construction work carried out by Ballast Nedam and the Royal BAM Group took almost three years. The highest point of the building was reached on 24 February 1995 after the roof was raised. On 13 March 1996, an overpass was opened from the public transport road to the parking lot. The stadium received 180,000 visitors during construction work until the stadium was closed from July 1, 1996 until the opening ceremony. The stadium was officially opened on August 14, 1996 by queen Beatrix. The queen Beatrix opened the stadium, making a drop of the curtain inside the stadium. It showed the world's largest painting of De Gea (English: Sea) 80 by 126 meters (262 feet × 413 feet). Two-dimensional ships were placed at sea representing clubs in Eredivisie.Trijntje Oosterhuis sang the anthem De zee, composed for the opening ceremony by John Ewbank. The eight-day torch relay with 375 runners for 1,400 kilometers across the Netherlands reached the stadium. The first runner was Johan Cruyff, starting at the old De Meer Stadium, and the last runner was Frank Rijkaard, who arrived at the new stadium. After the grass was revealed and the roof opened, the first football match was played between Ajax and Milan. (quote necessary) Tina Turner has opened the stadium with three concerts with 160,000 people from her world breaking The Wildest Dreams Tour. The construction of the stadium cost the equivalent of 140 million euros (at that time the Dutch guild was the dutch currency). The stadium combines a retractable roof with a grassy surface. This caused some problems at the beginning: grass rolls would not grow in the shade of an open roof and had to be replaced up to four times a year. (quote is necessary) External reconstruction of the Arena outside (2000). In September 2015, plans were submitted for the reconstruction of the stadium facade. The refurbishment should provide better quality and service to visitors by expanding the ring track around the stadium, creating more space for visitors and for new facilities (the number of seats remains the same). As a result, the outer part of the stadium turns from a concave shape into a tystive shape, radically changing its appearance. The reconstruction is planned to be completed in 2020, when the arena will host 4 matches of the European Championship 2020. Construction work began in June 2017. The first stage is the reconstruction of the eastern side of the stadium, where the construction of a new facade was completed in April 2018. The name of the change of the former stadium logo until 2018 on April 25, 2017, it was announced that the Amsterdam Arena will be renamed Johan The arena in memory of the legend of Ajax, Johann Cruyff. Later, on August 9, it was announced that the name change would take place on October 25, 2017. However, this was postponed because this date was not feasible due to many issues that had to be resolved, such as the organization of compensation for possible loss of income, the transfer of some shares from the Amsterdam municipality to Ajax and discussions with the Cruyff family. On April 5, 2018, it was announced that the stadium would officially change its name at the start of the 2018/19 football season. The stadium's new logo was displayed on April 25, 2018, on Johann Cruyff's birthday. According to a spokesman for Cruif's family, the original Dutch spelling of his name (Cruijff) was chosen for the official name of the stadium to remain close to the Dutch Johann. The 2018/19 football season began in August 2018. The original architect of the stadium is Rob Schurman (from the Netherlands). It has a total capacity of 54,990 people. By the end of the 2019-20 season, the capacity will be expanded to about 56,000 seats. During music concerts, the stadium has a maximum capacity of 68,000 visitors. The transfer capacity is 500 cars (inside); There are 12,000 more seats outside. Johan Cruyff Arena is one of two stadiums in the Netherlands that UEFA rates as Category 4, the other is the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam. The Ajax Museum is located in the stadium, which is indicative of the more than 120th anniversary of Ajax.