Europe comes to Leipzig!
On Tuesday, May 21st, Ulrich Wolter (Chief Relationship Officer) and Dominik Gassmann (Head of Federation Management) officially handed over the Red Bull Arena to UEFA. At the so-called “Stadium Handover” they symbolically presented Yihuan Chang (Senior Venue Manager) and Jacqueline van der Plas (Deputy Venue Manager) with an exclusive miniature version of the Red Bull Arena.
UEFA is now the host in our own backyard, where a total of four games will take place during EURO 2024 – three group games and a round of 16 match.
Red Bull Arena gets EURO look
After the Red Bulls’ last home game against Werder Bremen, a European Championship atmosphere took over the Red Bull Arena. Among other things, the media gallery has been moved from the upper tier in Sector A to the lower tier in Sector C. In addition, seating shells have been removed to make room for TV booths and additional commentator positions.
The Red Bull Arena also gets its EURO look in other places. A total of 1.1 kilometers of fence will be constructed to create a security zone. In addition, additional team benches for 30 national team staff members will be created in the infield.
RB Leipzig supports the implementation of the games
With the handover of the stadium to UEFA, the team responsible for staging the games in Leipzig also grows. Around 80 employees work for the EURO in Leipzig, their areas of activity range from ticketing to security and visitor service.
RB Leipzig is also supporting the organization of the four games with staff. In addition to the stadium staff, who continue to ensure operations, six permanent employees of the club are on loan for the major tournament. There are also many other helping hands and 1,600 volunteers, some of whom come from the RBL Friends program.
Special role for Leipzig
With matches such as France vs. Netherlands or Croatia vs. Italy, the Red Bull Arena has been given some top games of the tournament. But Leipzig is also in focus during the EURO. The city is the location of both the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) and the International Broadcast Center (IBC) at the new trade fair.
Ulrich Wolter, Chief Relationship Officer:
- “We are very pleased that the Red Bull Arena will be part of UEFA Euro 2024 for four games. Even though we at RB Leipzig have a lot of experience with organizing international matches and games in the Champions League, a tournament like this is something very special.
The football world is watching us, many top European teams are guests. The whole of Leipzig will present itself as a fan mile for the international audience that will visit our city in tens of thousands.”