Stockhorn Arena


Stockhorn Arena is a football stadium in the city of Thun, Switzerland. It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators and opened in 2011. It is the home of FC Thun men and women's team of the Swiss Super League.

History

From 1954 until 2011, Stadion Lachen was the home ground of Swiss side FC Thun. In the early 2000s, however, the Swiss Football League claimed that the old stadium did not meet the minimal stadium requirements and that it was no longer fit for football in the highest division. The club received an exemption to play at the Lachen for a few more years, but was asked either to renovate extensively or to build a new stadium.
In 2006, the citizens of Thun refused to finance a new stadium with public funds, leaving FC Thun in a bind: without a new stadium the club would be ineligible to play professionally. General contractor HRS offered to finance a new stadium, with a shopping center on the same area, located 1.8 km northwest of Stadion Lachen. In 2007 the contracts were signed, and the construction work began in spring 2010. The new stadium - at that time called Arena Thun - was officially inaugurated on 9 July 2011, with a friendly match between 1. FC Köln and FC Thun. Köln's striker Milivoje Novaković was the first player to score in the new arena, and the game ended in a tie.
In February 2014, the Arena Thun AG sold the naming rights to a new main sponsor/partner: Stockhornbahn AG. The stadium was renamed Stockhorn Arena at that time, with an official ceremony held on 12 April 2014, on the occasion of the match between FC Aarau and FC Thun. There are now several discussions among politicians and other active sports people about expanding the capacity by 5,000 or 6,000 spectators to be able to handle greater demand for tickets and other types of events

Structure

The stadium is located near the A6 motorway, close to the exit Thun Süd, approximately 2 km west from downtown Thun and the railway station. The Stockhorn Arena, with a capacity of 10,000, is equipped with artificial turf. The pitch is long by wide.

International matches

Men's national teams

DateResultCompetition
10 June 20153–0Friendly

Women's national teams

DateResultCompetition
8 October 20192–0UEFA Women's Euro qualifying
22 September 20202–1UEFA Women's Euro qualifying
2 July 20250–1UEFA Women's Euro 2025
7 July 20256–2UEFA Women's Euro 2025
10 July 20254–3UEFA Women's Euro 2025

Other teams

From time to time matches of the Switzerland national under-21 football team are also held at the Stockhorn Arena.