NK Maribor - Stadium

Stadium

The Ljudski vrt (English: People's Garden, German: Volksgarten) stadium is the only stadium in Maribor that lies on the left bank of the river Drava. The stadium is a natural, cultural, architectural and sports landmark of the city and is considered one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world. The stadium is named after a public park previously located in the area. A cemetery was also located on the same area before the stadium was built. The first football pitch in the area was built in 1952, while the stadium itself was not built until 1961. The club first started to compete in the Ljudski vrt in 1961, when the current main stand was still under construction. The stand is notable for its 129.8 metres long and 18.4 m high concrete arch and is still the main stand of the stadium. In 1994 floodlights were installed and the stadium hosted its first evening match. Since then the stadium went through several renovations. The most notable was the one in 2008 when the stadium was completely refurbished. Presently, it has a capacity of 12,994 seats.

Beside being the home ground of Maribor, the stadium also hosts matches of the Slovenia national football team and was their main venue used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. It was one of two stadiums in the country which hosted the national team in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. The record attendance in the Yugoslav era was 20,000 spectators, while the record for a Slovenian League match is 14,000 spectators, achieved on the last match of the 1996–97 season. This match is still the record holder for attendance at a football match in Slovenian League.