No mater what the location, it can always be unsettling making the journey to an away game, however some home fans go out of their way to ensure, the visiting teams do not get too comfortable. We take a look at some of the most intimidating stadiums for players and fans to visit.
Turk Telekom Arena
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Capacity: 52,650
Once holding the record for the loudest stadium in the world at 131.76 decibels (now held by Arrowhead Arena in Kansas City), Turk Telecom Arena remains one of the most hostile venues for visiting teams. The home of Galatasaray has been labelled by many as “hell” due to an abundance of flares throughout the stadium, often finding their way on to the field by passionate supporters eager to give the home team a helping hand.
Estadio Centenario
Location: Montevideo, Uruguay
Capacity: 76,609
A venue which once hosted the first ever World Cup final in 1930, Estadio Centenario is not short on history. It is often filled with fans roaring for the Uruguay national football team. Spectators of the home team are not known for their hospitality with missiles such as coins and flares regularly finding their way onto the pitch. Although the stadium’s relaxed approach to the control of pyrotechnics makes a impressive sight, this only increases the hostile environment. Check out the video below.
Stadio San Paolo
Location: Naples, Italy
Capacity: 60,240
Many stadiums in Italy consist of modern features and state-of-the-art facilities. San Paolo is not one of them. The venue where Maradona played a majority of his club football with Napoli, is known for its ability to produce large amounts of noise (check out the video below). The fans have often been referred to by other italian clubs as ‘dirty’ and ‘unwashed’. Maybe this explains why supporters are so keen to intimidate visiting teams.
La Bombonera
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Capacity: 49,000
Another stadium where Maradona once called home, Boca Junior’s – La Bombonera. The stadium’s distinct design consists of three steep stands allowing fans to get even closer to the action towering over the pitch. On game day, the stands are covered in blue and yellow (Boca Junior’s colours), flares are flying and the pitch is literally shaking. The atmosphere is so hostile, away supporters are sometimes not even let into the stadium.
Rajko Mitic Stadium
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Capacity: 55,538
Also known as the Marakana (not to be confused with the Maracanã), Rajko Mitic stadium doesn’t sell out too often, when it does, it is one of the most frightening venues in the world and becomes a major advantage for home side, Red Star Belgrade who famously beat Liverpool at the venue in the UEFA Champions League in 2018. Despite rarely selling out, the stadium has been known to resemble a war zone especially on derby days against Partizan Belgrade with home made weaponry flying onto the area and flares and smoke bombs used to distract the opposition.
Anfield
Location: Liverpool, UK
Capacity: 54,074
Unlike the the previous stadiums, Anfield is not known for being terrifying, its steep history as home to one of the most successful clubs in the world is what makes the venue such a difficult place for visiting teams. Liverpool’s fans are among the most passionate and loyal supporters in the world. When 50,000 people are singing You’ll Never Walk Alone in unison, it is easy to see why the Reds have such as strong home ground advantage. Even the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Pep Guardiola feel intimidated when visiting Anfield.
The Den
Location: London, UK
Capacity: 20,146
Home to EFL Championship side, Millwall, the stadium is not so much known for its structure, nor the noise created, but more those who occupy the seats. The Den is one of the most notorious stadiums for away sides to visit with fans of the home side making sure the opposition don’t forget their trip here.
Signal Iduna Park
Location: Dortmund, Gemany
Capacity: 81,365 (Domestic matches)
65,829 (International matches)
Similar to Anfield, Signal Iduna Park is not so much known for its rowdy spectators, more so for its spectacular black and yellow (home team Borussia Dortmund’s colours) filled stands. The stadium is seventh largest in Europe and averages approximately 80,000 per game. The famous South Stand (Südtribune) is the largest free-standing grandstand in Europe with a capacity of nearly 25,000. The stand is always filled with scarves, flags and banners and has earned the nickname ‘the yellow wall’.
Estadio Atanasio Girardot
Location: 44,739
Capacity: Medellín, Colombia
Thanks to the year round moderate tropical temperatures, Medellin is known to many as the “City of Eternal Spring”. This nickname seems to be forgotten when it comes to playing football Estadio Atanasio Giradot. It is home to two of Colombia’s biggest football teams, Atlético Nacional (once owned by Pablo Escobar) and Independiente Medellín.
Despite rarely filling the stadium to capacity, local derbies have been known to get wildly out of control (as the video below shows). Anyone with common sense would avoid Giradot on derby day.