UEFA stadium categories

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the home of Real Madrid, has four stars.

UEFA stadium categories are categories for football stadiums laid out in UEFA's Stadium Infrastructure Regulations.^[1] Using these regulations, stadiums are rated as category one, two, three, or four (renamed from elite) in ascending ranking order. These categories replaced the previous method of ranking stadiums on one to five star scale in 2006.

A stadium must be rated as category four in order to host games in the playoffs of the qualifying stage for the UEFA Champions League, or any game in the main competition.^[2] Category four is also required to host any game in the main competition of the UEFA Europa League,^[3] UEFA Europa Conference League, UEFA Nations League or the UEFA European Championship final tournament.^[4] UEFA does not publish lists of stadiums fulfilling the criteria for any of the categories defined in the UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations.^[1]

General

If a retractable roof is present, its use will be directed by consultation between the UEFA delegate and the main assigned referee.

Although the minimum stadium capacity for category four is 8,000, it is required to host the UEFA Europa Conference League final, and only one stadium with a capacity less than 60,000 has been selected to host a UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Euro finals and 30,000 for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Nations League finals, since these regulations were introduced in 2006.

After the 2007 Champions League final, UEFA President Michel Platini stated that he wanted European Cup finals to be held at stadiums with an average capacity of 70,000 to solve security issues.^[5] The hosts for the finals between 2008 and 2023 (Luzhniki Stadium, Stadio Olimpico, Santiago Bernabéu, Wembley Stadium, Allianz Arena, Olympiastadion, San Siro, Millennium Stadium, Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Stade de France, Atatürk Stadium) all had capacities of at least 70,000 seats—with the exceptions of 2014 and 2019 finals (Estádio da Luz and Metropolitano Stadium) held with capacities of 65,000 seats. Two finals were played during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021 in stadiums reaching 50,000 seats (Estádio da Luz and Estádio do Dragão) with none or reduced attendances.

Differences between categories

Criteria	Category 1	Category 2	Category 3	Category 4
Field of play	100 to 105 m long, 64 to 68 m wide (109–115 yd × 70–74 yd)		105 m long, 68 m wide (115 yd × 74 yd)
Minimum size of referee's dressing room	—		20 square metres (220 sq ft)
Minimum floodlighting	to suit broadcaster	800 Eh(lux) horizontal illuminance uniformity ratios U1h >0.4 and U2h >0.5 350 Ev(lux) vertical illuminance uniformity ratios U1h >0.35 and U2h >0.45	1200 Eh(lux) horizontal illuminance uniformity ratios U1h >04and U2h >0.6 750 Ev(lux) vertical illuminance uniformity ratios U1h >0.4 and U2h >0.45	1400 Eh(lux) horizontal illuminance uniformity ratios U1h >0.5 and U2h >0.7 1000 Ev(lux) vertical illuminance uniformity ratios U1h >0.4 and U2h >0.5
Spectator standing allowed	Yes	No
Minimum seated capacity	200	1,500	4,500	8,000
Turnstiles and electronic ticket control system	No		1 turnstile per 660 seats
Minimum total VIP seats	50		75	100
VIP parking	20	50	100	150
VIP hospitality area	Yes
Closed-circuit television system (CCTV)	—		Yes
Control room	—	Yes	Yes, with equipped colour monitors connected to CCTV system and displaying live data from ETCS
Minimum media working area	10 working positions	20 working positions	30 working positions
Photographers' working area	—		15 working positions	20 working positions
Minimum media seating	10, 5 with desks	20, 10 with desks	30, 15 with desks	60, 30 with desks
Minimum space for main camera platform	2 m × 2 m (6.6 ft × 6.6 ft) for 1 camera	4 m × 2 m (13.1 ft × 6.6 ft) for 2 cameras		6 m × 2 m (19.7 ft × 6.6 ft) for at least 3 cameras
Additional camera platforms	—		2 platforms 2 m × 2 m (6.6 ft × 6.6 ft) for 1 camera each on the 16m lines	category 3 + one platform on the opposite stand from main camera platform and 2 platforms 2 m × 2 m (6.6 ft × 6.6 ft) behind each goal for 1 camera each
Minimum number of commentary positions	1	3	5	10
Minimum number of TV studios	1		2	2, at least 1 with a view of the pitch
Minimum post-match interview positions	—		4, each 4 by 3 metres (13.1 ft × 9.8 ft)
Minimum outside broadcast van area	300 m^2 (3,200 sq ft)	400 m^2 (4,300 sq ft)	600 m^2 (6,500 sq ft)	1,000 m^2 (11,000 sq ft)
Minimum number of seats in press conference room	—	20	30	50
Minimum size for mixed zone	—			large enough for at least 50 media representatives

See also

• List of European stadiums by capacity

References

1. "UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations Edition 2018" (PDF). UEFA. 25 February 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
2. Regulations of the UEFA Champions League 2010/11 (PDF) (Report). UEFA. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
3. Regulations for the UEFA Europa League 2010/11 (PDF) (Report). UEFA. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
4. Regulations of the UEFA European Football Championship 2010–12 (PDF) (Report). UEFA. September 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
5. "Update 1-Soccer-Platini wants Champions League final at weekend". Reuters. 30 August 2008. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.

External links

• UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations - Edition 2006
• UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations - Edition 2010
• UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations - Edition 2018