Images: City of Opole
Polish second-tier football club Odra Opole officially opened its new stadium on Friday night with a friendly match against German outfit FC Magdeburg.
Ahead of the opening of the 11,600-capacity venue, it was announced that local travel agency Itaka had acquired naming rights to the facility.
The stadium will officially be known as the Itaka Arena, with the naming-rights deal worth PLN753,000 (£151,000/€180,000/$195,000) a year. Itaka Arena has replaced Stadion Odry Opole as the club’s home stadium.
Friday’s friendly match against FC Magdeburg ended in a 1-1 draw. FC Magdeburg was Odra Opole’s opponent when the club made its only appearance in the UEFA Cup back in the 1977-78 season.
Prior to kickoff on Friday, an opening ceremony was held featuring local artists, while after the game fans were encouraged to stay and watch television coverage of Poland’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lithuania. A pyrotechnic show also took place after full-time.
The stadium’s design was adjusted during the construction phase so that it can operate largely independent of conventional energy sources. Photovoltaic panels with a capacity of about 280 kW were installed on the roof of the west, east and south stands
The opening match, which was a sellout, was marred by visiting FC Magdeburg supporters vandalising areas of the stadium. Gol24 reports that toilets were damaged, while stickers and inscriptions promoting the German club appeared on balustrades.
Itaka Arena will host an U20 match between Poland and Czech Republic tomorrow (Tuesday).
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