De Kuip

De Kuip, officially called Stadion Feijenoord, was erected in the 1930s to provide Feyenoord with a new world-class stadium.

Inspiration for the new arena came from then club-president Van Zandvliet, whose ambitions for the club involved a new 65,000-stadium.

While many doubted the viability of his plans, the Rotterdam city council voted in favour and two architects were sent on study trip around Europe. They returned especially inspired by the newly constructed double-decker stand at Highbury.

Building work on De Kuip, Dutch for tub or bowl, started in 1935 and finished only 10 months later. The ground was ready in July 1936, although the Rotterdam government had failed to upgrade the infrastructure around the ground and a first match had to get postponed.

Half a year later, on the 27th of March 1937, De Kuip ultimately opened with a match between Feyenoord and Belgian side Beerschot (5-2). A month later the Dutch national side played its first international at the ground against Belgium.

In the next decades, De Kuip turned into one of the prime venues of Europe and staged various European cup finals.

The first was the final of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1963 between Tottenham and Atlético Madrid, the second another Cup Winners' cup final in 1968 between Milan and Hamburg, followed by the 1972 European cup final between Ajax and Inter (2-0), and another Cup Winners'cup final in 1974, this time between Magdeburg and Milan.

In the 1980s, De Kuip was the venue for the 1982 European cup final between Aston Villa and Bayern (1-0), and the 1985 Cup Winners' cup final between Everton and Rapid Wien. A fifth and sixth Cup Winners' cup final were staged in 1991 and 1997, the first between Manchester United and Barcelona, and the second between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

In 2002, the final of the UEFA Cup was played at De Kuip, which saw home side Feyenoord beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2.

By then, De Kuip had already undergone an extensive major renovation. In the early 1990s, the state of De Kuip had deteriorated to the extent that it could hardly meet safety requirements, and works included a thorough refurbishment of the stands, the creation of new corporate facilities, and the installation of a roof over the earlier uncovered stands.

De Kuip was chosen to host the final of the Euro 2000 championships, receiving preference over the newer and slightly bigger Amsterdam ArenA. Throughout the tournament, the ground staged three group matches, the quarter-final between Holland and Yugoslavia (6-1), and the final between France and Italy (2-1).

Feyenoord have long been contemplating either renovating De Kuip or building a completely new arena. The decision ultimately fell in favour of building a new 63,000-seater stadium next to De Kuip, though the club still needs to obtain planning permission and arrange funding, and realisation is as a result far from guaranteed.

(images of the current De Kuip below)

De Kuip stands on the south bank of the river Meuse, just a few hundred metres away from the river, but about 4.5 kilometres from Rotterdam's downtown area and more than 5.5 kilometres from the central rail station.

If coming by car, the ground is best reached from the A16 motorway. Take exit 24 Feijenoord (if coming from the north the first after the Van Brienenoord bridge). Follow the Stadionweg west until reaching the ground.

If using public transit, take tram 23 from Rotterdam's central rail station. After a 20-minute journey get off at stop Stadion Feijenoord. On match days one can also take tram 29.

An alternative is taking a train to rail station Lombardijen, also on the south bank, and continue with tram 2 in the direction of Charlois. After a 6-minute journey get off at either station Beukendaal or Breeplein. The ground is a further 10-minute walk away. Both trams run at minimum once every 10 minutes.

On match days it is also possible to catch a train from Rotterdam Central Station (or Dordrecht) to station Stadion Feijenoord, which borders the ground. On non-matchdays there is no train service to this station.

Address: Van Zandvlietplein 1, 3077 AA Rotterdam

De Kuip is part of a larger sports complex that covers the club's youth academy. The ground lies in a predominantly residential area, and in particular the area across the railway tracks rates among the poorest of Rotterdam.

The area on the banks of the river Meuse has recently been redeveloped though, and boast a cinema, some eating options, and the odd bar. Still, dining and drinks can best be done in Rotterdam's downtown area, from where it is a short public transit ride to the ground. The area around Stadhuisplein is a good start for drinking, though Rotterdam nightlife is rather dispersed over the central areas.

There are no hotels located in the immediate vicinity of De Kuip. The closest hotels are in the Kop of Zuid area on the renovated and edgy south bank, from where one can walk to the ground in about half an hour. Otherwise, visitors will find a good few options in Rotterdam's centre.

Admission for Feyenoord matches are sold online, or at the Service & Tickets booths at De Kuip.

If tickets remain available, these can also be bought on the gate from 3.5 hours before kick-off, although Feyenoord tends to sell out most league games so booking in advance is strongly recommended.

Feyenoord require possession of a Feyenoord Club Card to be able to buy Admission for a certain number of matches that have a high risk for fan violence, usually about 7 per season.

Tickets prices range from €23.50 for a lower-tier seat directly behind the goal to €48.50 for a central seat at the long sides.

Additional information call +31 (0) 900 1908.

De Kuip organises guided venue tours that cover the players tunnel, VIP areas, and the Feyenoord Museum. The tour lasts around 90 minutes.

Tours usually run Wednesdays to Saturdays and occasionally Mondays and Tuesdays two or three days a week: at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm.

Tours are limited to a certain number of participants so booking is recommended, especially during school holidays. Bookings can be made online. The tour price is €13.50.