German 2. Bundesliga football club Karlsruher SC has announced that it will reopen its fully revamped stadium with a friendly match against English Premier League team Liverpool next month.
Karlsruher has played at BBBank Wildpark since it opened in 1955, with the stadium having undergone a complete redevelopment that began at the end of 2018.
The opening game for the new-look Wildpark will take place on July 19, with the match representing the first meeting between Karlsruher and Liverpool.
Karlsruher said construction of the stadium is now so advanced that everyone involved in the project – the City of Karlsruhe, general contractor Zech and the club – are confident that the venue, including the west stand, can be fully used for the opening game.
Karlsruher SC managing director, Michael Becker, said: “The entire KSC family, the City of Karlsruhe and the entire region are looking forward to the opening of the new BBBank Wildpark.
“We are very pleased that, together with our partner Onside, we have succeeded in finding a top international club in Liverpool FC for this historic event. With its emotional history and passionate fans, the traditional club Liverpool FC fits perfectly with our current motto – DAS FußballERLEBNIS der Region.”
The project to transform BBBank Wildpark had been given a budget of €123m (£105.7m/$131.8m) and will see the new-look stadium have a capacity of 35,000. Work was originally due to be completed in the summer of 2022, but the delivery date was postponed by a year.
