PSG

Etihad Stadium

Originally built for the Commonwealth Games in 2002, the City of Manchester stadium later became the Etihad Stadium. A state of the art, architecturally unique venue, it is home to Manchester City's skyblues

Etihad Stadium

Built for the 17th Commonwealth Games in 2002, the Etihad Stadium has not always been a football stadium. Originally, the City of Manchester stadium was surrounded by an athletics track and was dedicated to this discipline. In 2003, it became the official home of Manchester City. With a current capacity of 55,097, the stadium could have been the official home of the England national team before the FA opted to renovate the iconic Wembley Stadium. 

Following the purchase of Manchester City by a United Arab Emirates investment fund in 2008, the club entered into a new era. Three years later, in 2011, Manchester City signed a record-breaking stadium naming deal with the UAE airline Etihad Airways. 

Today, Manchester City owns almost all of the Etihad Stadium thanks to an agreement with Manchester City Council that allows the club to receive 100% of the revenue from the stadium.

The Etihad Stadium has a very unique architecture. With its long cables stretched from gigantic masts on sky-blue concrete towers, the stadium is a true landmark of the city of Manchester. 

The Etihad Stadium is classified as a UEFA Category 4 stadium because of its capacity, quality of infrastructure, security and accessibility. These 4 stars allow Manchester City to host prestigious events such as World Cup matches or a Champions League or Europa League final.

Women's football, which was not widely publicised a few years ago, is now enjoying a boom in Europe and around the world. As one of the top teams in the Women's Super League alongside Arsenal and Chelsea, Manchester City's women's team now play their biggest matches at the Etihad Stadium. The opening match of the 2019/20 season broke the attendance record for a women's game at the Etihad Stadium. On that day, 31,213 people came to watch the Manchester derby against Manchester United.

The history of the Etihad Stadium

Founded in 1894, Manchester City played at Maine Road for almost 80 years. After opening the stadium in 1923 with a win over Sheffield United, the Skyblues played their last game at the famous venue in 2003. It is within the walls of Maine Road that many pages of Manchester City's history have been written. 

In 1937, City won their first English league title in front of the Maine Road fans. 30 years later, they won their second title in their history. In the meantime, Manchester City shared its stadium for several years after the World War II with Manchester's other club: Manchester United. Old Trafford was bombed and part of the city of Manchester was destroyed, so the Red Devils were forced to play on the pitch of their geographical rival.

From the 1980s to the early 2000s, Manchester City, still playing at Maine Road, went through the most complicated period in their history. From being champions of England a few years ago to being relegated to the Championship (D2) on several occasions, Manchester City even went down to the third division.

In the 2002/03 season, as City returned to the top flight of English football, it was time for skyblue fans to say goodbye to Maine Road. The following season, the Citizens moved to the new City of Manchester Stadium. The stadium was originally built for the 17th Commonwealth Games in 2002 and became the home of the East Manchester club.

In 2008, Manchester City entered a new dimension when it was bought by an investment fund from the United Arab Emirates. In the following years, the City of Manchester Stadium has seen some of the biggest stars in world football, such as Robinho, who arrived from Real Madrid. 

In the 2011/12 season, Manchester City won their third English league title, more than 40 years later, at the end of an epic final day in which Aguero delivered the entire blue-sky crowd when he put the ball in the back of the net in the final moments of extra time (90+4). It was a moment of grace that led to the construction of a statue of the Kun in front of the stadium, in memory of this match that will remain in the legend of the Etihad Stadium for eternity.

In 2011, the City of Manchester Stadium was renamed the Etihad Stadium following a naming agreement between the Manchester club and the Emirati airline, also the main sponsor of the English club. After various renovations carried out since the arrival of the Abu Dhabi investors, the Etihad Stadium now has a capacity of almost 55,000 and is certainly one of the most technologically advanced stadiums. 

Majors events at the Etihad Stadium

2022: Concert by Liam Gallagher, Manchester City fan and former Oasis singer

2019: Metallica, Muse and Spice Girls concert

2018: Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Jay Z and Ed Sheeran tour

2016: Australian-British rock band AC/DC concert

2015: Rugby World Cup 2015 pool match between England and Uruguay (60-3)

2014: One Direction tour

2012: British pop group Coldplay concert

2008: English boxing match between Ricky Hatton and Juan Lazcano in front of 56,337 fans, a post-war record

2005: Oasis and U2 concert and Women's Euro opening match in front of 29,092 fans, a record at the time

2004: Red Hot Chili Peppers show

PSG at Etihad Stadium

  • 1 CITY PSG 2021 (2-0): CHAMPIONS LEAGUE semi final

    The match was played in a Etihad Stadium with no spectators, where Parisians and citizens were in the running for a ticket to Porto and its Dragon Stadium, the venue for the Champions League final. Manchester City, who were amazing on the counter-attack, won thanks to two goals from Mahrez and joined Chelsea in the final that night.

  • 2 CITY PSG 2016 (1-0): CHAMPIONS LEAGUE quarter final

    After a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes, Laurent Blanc's players travelled to the Etihad for the return match. In a very tight match, the light came from De Bruyne, who offered his supporters a ticket for the semi-finals against Real Madrid, futur winner of the 2015/16 edition.

Around the Etihad Stadium

In Manchester, the Etihad Stadium is a true monument and an integral part of the city's heritage. But Manchester City's stadium is not the only attraction in this unusual city, which has many other places to see:

  • Castlefield: Once occupied by Roman soldier camps, this area is still home to the Mamucium fort. A monument that gave the city of Manchester its name.
  • Heaton Park: Located in the north of Manchester, this huge natural area is home to a historic 20th century tramway
  • Museum of Science and Industry: the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester is home to this museum which tells the story of a period that changed the course of humanity
  • Chinatown: the second largest Chinatown in the UK, Manchester's Chinatown is a special place in the heart of Manchester
  • The John Rylands Library: the University of Manchester's library, this neo-Gothic building looks like a gigantic cathedral and houses hundreds of manuscripts and ancient works.