Avnet Arena

Located in Magdeburg, Germany, the Avnet Arena serves as the home ground for 1. FC Magdeburg. The stadium was constructed on the site of the former Ernst-Grube-Stadion, a multi-use venue that had been built in 1955 using rubble cleared from the city's ruins following World War II. After the older stadium fell into disrepair, it was demolished between March and June 2005 to make way for a modern, football-specific facility. Construction of the new arena began on July 4, 2005, and the venue officially opened on December 19, 2006, with a match against Eintracht Braunschweig that ended in a scoreless draw. The stadium was originally known as Stadion Magdeburg before being renamed the MDCC-Arena in 2009. In March 2024, it was rebranded as the Avnet Arena following a sponsorship agreement with the global electronics company Avnet. Designed without a running track to bring spectators closer to the pitch, the stadium has undergone various capacity adjustments over the years. Following a refurbishment in 2016, the capacity was temporarily reduced, but it was restored and expanded to its current official capacity of 30,098 following the completion of an extension in January 2020. Today, the arena stands as a central hub for football in the region, hosting the matches of 1. FC Magdeburg as they compete in the 2. Bundesliga. While the venue is known as the Avnet Arena for domestic purposes, it is referred to as the 1. FC Magdeburg Arena during European competitions to comply with advertising regulations.