What a coincidence! Look at the name of the stadium where the Germans bid farewell to the tournament: MHP Arena.

The excitement continues in EURO 2024 with the quarter-final matches. The host country Germany was eliminated from the tournament with a shocking defeat to Spain. After the match, the MHP Arena, where the tournament was held, became a topic of discussion. Furthermore, our national football player Merih Demiral's wolf gesture during his goal celebration created an interesting coincidence with the stadium where Germany was eliminated. The German press had created perception by associating Merih's Wolf gesture with different contexts.

GERMANY PRESSURED UEFA FOR MERIH

Merih Demiral, who was the architect of the national team's victory against Austria, received a 2-match ban from UEFA for his wolf gesture after scoring a goal. The fact that Germany, which pressured UEFA for Merih to be punished, was eliminated in the stadium named MHP Arena created an interesting coincidence.

IT HAS A LONG HISTORY

MHP Arena, which was first opened in 1933, is a stadium located in Stuttgart, Germany, where VfB Stuttgart plays its Bundesliga matches. The stadium, formerly known as Neckarstadion, took the name Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium in 1993 due to the financial support provided by Daimler-Benz during its renovation. It took the name Mercedes-Benz Arena in 2008. It took its current name on July 1, 2023.

HOSTED THREE MAJOR TOURNAMENTS

MHP Arena hosted two FIFA World Cups and one European Championship. It hosted 4 matches in the 1974 FIFA World Cup and 2 matches in EURO 1988. In the 2006 World Cup, the stadium hosted 6 matches, including a third-place play-off. In addition to the major national team events, the finals of club-level tournaments were also played at MHP Arena.

The finals of the European Cup, which was the former name of the UEFA Champions League, were held in Stuttgart in 1959 and 1988. The fans also faced each other at MHP Arena in the final of the 1962 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. In addition to football matches, the stadium also hosted major athletics events such as the 1986 European Athletics Championships and the 1993 World Athletics Championships.

WHAT DOES 'MHP' IN MHP ARENA MEAN?

The MHP in the name of the stadium is a subcontractor company owned by Porsche, which operates in the field of information and management consulting.