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Recommended Reviews - Friends Arena
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7 years ago
The Friends Arena is a great, modern football stadium which opened in October 2013 - the name comes from a sponsorship deal with Swedbank however they donated the naming rights to Friends, a nonprofit organization against school bullying of which Swedbank is a sponsor which is amazing gesture - yet it is a real shame the charity isn't promoted as much. The stadium is in a great location, around 7 minutes on the train from City Station below Central Station into Solna and then a short walk either cutting through the Mall of Scandanavia (a pretty cool, large shopping mall right next to the centre) or down the streets to the stadium - the concept reminds me of West Ham United's London Stadium which also is right near a shopping centre however the proximity is much closer here with the mall entrance at Vapiano and O'Leary's being right opposite. I came here to watch Sweden - Norway which was a qualifier for Euro 2020 - tickets were really cheap at 200 SEK and this came with a free match program in Swedish and novelty shirt on your seat before the game. I must say the process of getting tickets, speaking to the ticket office and how simple it was to get disabled tickets is one of the few ways which Sweden actually puts England to shame - with it being easier to be King of Liberia rather than get a ticket to some games in England. The stadium has a capacity of 50,653 for international fixtures, it didn't seem to get full for the game between Sweden - Norway which surprised me with it being a derby match between two teams from Scandanavia, both hoping to qualify for Euro 2020 in the race for second place in their group behind group leaders and likely champions, Spain. The stewards at the ground seemed friendly but they could have helped direct me to my seats - I went the right way towards my block 121, only to get most of the way there and realise it was cornered off for Norway fans - this meant I had to walk all away around the stadium to get to my seat - I don't understand why the entrance on my ticket was so far away from my seats, and when I got there I was surprised to see multiple Norway fans in full colours and flags actually sat amongst the Sweden fans, as well as in their own designated area where there were empty seats - if that would have happened in other countries there would have been serious fights and altercations - it did add a fear of danger supported by the fact fans can take alcohol to their seats, which is banned in England. Just a few minutes away from Stockholm via train and in a great location of Solna - where there are multiple shops, bars and restaurants in one of Sweden's biggest and busiest shopping malls across the way as well as multiple metros stops in the Solna area, including a City train too which is much quicker into Stockholm centre. I did have a really good view, even at the back and the disabled seating area was raised so even if fans stood - you'd get a great view of the whole pitch (sadly the big screen isn't included but when the match began replays were shown on a small screen which was in view) While the quality of football being played wasn't great, I'd describe it as being Championship standard at best this is a pretty cool and unrated stadium - especially considering they're showing the world how to do things with easy to get, cheap tickets with multiple extras too, rewarding the fans of the national team, so this place is perfect for my 2700th review and is four-star worthy, sharing that rating with some of the worlds best stadiums including Wembley, Allianz Arena and the Etihad Stadium. read more
13 years ago
I went to see the Sweden - Germany World Cup Qualifier a few weeks ago (October 2013) and the first thing I thought when getting off the train and following the crowd to the arena/stadium was "where the h*#@ is the place?!" It was a bit of a walk to get there, which isn't very good for anybody with medical or foot problems. I love soccer and have gone to stadiums all around the world. This one year old stadium is not one of the more impressive ones that I have visited. From the outside it doesn't look like a stadium at all and could be mistaken for a office block. Inside is a different story though. The field was in great condition and there was that soccer feeling. This could have been helped by thousands of Swedes waving their (free) flags on the night. The game was very good, a lot better than the food. All I could find were over-priced excuses for hot dogs, which had to have been the thinnest hot dogs I have ever seen! If given the chance, I'd go again but for a game and not at all for the experience of the venus. read more
11 years ago
Watched Stockholm (AIK?) vs. Malmö while visiting the city last year. Seats were awesome and relatively cheap. Concessions were decent. Crowd was pleasant, though the hardcore fan sections looked a bit more animated. The only downside was that the area nearby had almost nothing to do before the game. The restaurant-like place we found a block away was almost silent, and prices were borderline absurd. I later wished I hadn't bought 6 Carlsberg 1/3L bottles, since beer in the stadium was actually cheaper. What a country! Overall, a fun experience that will only get better with some development of the surrounding area. read more
9 years ago
