Albert Flórián Stadion, Hungary (1911–2013)
Ferencvárosi Torna Club
The Albert Flórian Stadion was the home of the Ferencvárosi Torna Club for most of the club’s history, between 1911 and 2013. The stadium was initially called the Stadion Üllői út, as it was located near Üllői út Avenue, and from 2007 it was renamed in honor of former Hungarian striker Albert Flórian, who played for Ferencvárosi throughout his career, including winning a Ballon d’Or in 1967.
The construction of the stadium began in 1910, just after the club completed a decade of history, at a time when Ferencvárosi was looking for a fixed field to host their matches. The inauguration of the Stadion Üllői út took place on February 12, 1911, with a match between Ferencvárosi and MTK Budapest that ended with the home team winning 2–1. In this first phase, the stadium had an audience capacity of 40,000 people.
In 1971, at a time when Ferencvárosi was going through its most glorious period both nationally and in Europe (Ferencvárosi was champion of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1964–65 and runner-up of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1974 -75) the Stadion Üllői út underwent an almost complete refurbishment, significantly altering the structure of the stadium and assuming the format for which it was known in its most recent period. At that time, the Stadion Üllői út had an audience capacity of 29,505 people. In 1990, after installing the chairs, the capacity was reduced to 18,100 people.
In the early 2010s, Ferencvárosi understood that they needed a more modern and better structured stadium to adapt to the demands of the current football context. Therefore, it was planned to build a new stadium that would be called Ferencvárosi Stadion from 2014. On March 10, 2013 Ferencvárosi played their last official match at the Albert Flórian Stadion, in a 2–1 victory over Ùjpest FC. The stadium also hosted a farewell match on March 24, 2013 between Ferencvárosi and Romanian club CFR Cluj, which ended in a 0–0 draw. Days later, on March 28, the demolition of the Albert Flórian Stadion began, which was completed that same year.
