Poznan City Stadium, Poznań

The City Stadium in Poznan will host

- three group matches:

Ireland - Croatia, Sunday, 10 June, 8.45 p.m.

Italy - Croatia, Thursday, 14 June, 6 p.m.

Italy - Ireland, Monday, 18 June, 8.45 p.m.

The impressive white arc of the City Stadium, the height of an 18-storey building, is clearly visible from the windows of aeroplanes coming in to land. The stadium, on Bułgarska Street in the Poznan district of Grunwald Południe, was the first of Poland's stadiums for EURO 2012 to be completed. It did not have to be built from scratch, however, though it underwent major renovation, and the new facility was opened on 20 September 2010 with a gala concert by Sting. The alterations to the stands, which seat over 42,000, included

installation of a natural silk-coloured membrane roof supported on a 7,000-tonne steel skeleton. In addition to comfortable spectator seating, the stadium offers VIP boxes and business-class accommodation, as well as areas for the disabled and a professional media zone. Improved visibility at matches and other events is guaranteed by Poland's two largest relay screens (each 116-m˛ screen is composed of 120 LED displays), and the stadium?s lighting system meets HD transmission standards. Access to the stadium is by e-ticket. Security at the stadium is guaranteed by independent sources of power (two autonomous power lines and two generators) and cameras installed both inside and outside the building.

Catering outlets at the stadium range from two restaurants, through bars and cafés, to other food stands. It is a multi-purpose facility with amenities including SPA treatment rooms, a climbing wall, sports shops and a fitness club. The building itself meets stringent ecological norms - for instance it is fitted with underwater rainwater tanks for use in watering the turf and the ornamental plants.

How to get there :

from both Poznan Ławica airport and the main railway station there is excellent public transport ? trams no. 1 (Junikowo-Zawady), 6 (Budziszyńska?Miłostowo), 13 (Junikowo?Starołęka) and 15 (Budziszyńska?os. Jana III Sobieskiego), and buses A, 50, 63 and 91.

Information about City Stadium in Poznań:

Operator: a consortium of the sports club KKS Lech Poznań and

Marcelin Management

Opening date: 1980

Alterations completed: September 2010

Stadium dimensions: 220 x 213 x 56 metres

Total capacity: 42,000

VIP boxes: 45

Business-class seating: 1,100

Seats for the disabled: 266

Gastro outlets: 27, with 221 stands

Parking spaces: on the stadium premises - 200 coaches / 1,400

cars; in the vicinity - 400 coaches / 6,000 cars

Fan Zone in Poznań

In line with UEFA requirements, Poznan has a designated Fan Zone in the city centre, on Wolności Square (by Marcinkowskiego Ave.). It is to be open from 8 June to 1 July 2012, daily from 2 p.m. until midnight, and on Poznan match days from midday until 2 a.m. The greenery and other decorative elements on the square (monuments and fountains) have been suitably protected, but not hidden - they are to form an integral part of the setting. The championship matches will be broadcast on four relay screens, three ranged along Marcinkowskiego Avenue and the fourth - and at 100 m˛ the largest - on a podium at the apex of Wolności Square. Outside match fixtures the podium will be used as a stage for live performances and the screen to show films. Two stands in front of the stage provide seating for 1,000, with a special 185-m, platform for disabled fans. There are also plans for numerous food outlets, medical points and information stands, sponsors? outlets, a press centre, a VIP zone, and a security coordination centre.