Europa League ground’s built on abandoned swimming pool & covered in barbed wire
Modern facilities are all the rage among football's elite – but there's a certain charm to those venues boasting a bit more history.
Enter Leoforos Alexandras Stadium in Athens, which is home to Panathinaikos and still hosts Europa League nights. Opened in 1922, the 16,000-seat arena is the oldest football stadium in Greece that's currently in use – and it serves more than one purpose.
TikTokers @JessicaAndHarry recently paid a visit to the site and got an up-close look at some of the stadium's more unique points. And with emphasis on the 'point' considering many sections of the venue's exterior are wrapped in razor wire to prevent fans climbing over certain fenced-off areas.
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Effectively the whole circumference of the ground is coated in green, white and black graffiti to match with Panathinaikos' signature colours. That includes the club's ticket office, where it looks as though one wouldn't want to be caught out wearing the wrong team strip.
As is often traditional for clubs in Greece, the facilities at Leoforos Alexandras Stadium are not limited to the football club alone. Basketball, rugby, boxing and swimming activities all take place throughout areas concealed under the field and seating itself, with the video showing a sneak peek of the indoor pool – though it appears to have been out of action.
Which disused stadium would you like to see revived most? Let us know in the comments section below.
It won't be that much longer before Panathinaikos move into their new digs considering construction is already underway on a new site in the Votanikos area of Athens. The new site is slated to open in 2026 and will almost triple the club's seating capacity to 39,000, while it too will house volleyball, handball, basketball, swimming and gymnastics facilities.
Panathinaikos recently hosted Rennes at Leoforos Alexandras Stadium, but it clearly didn't intimidate the Ligue 1 side as they returned to France with a 2-1 win. The Greek giants previously hosted Villarreal at the much larger Olympic Stadium in September and triumphed 2-0.
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Manager Ivan Jovanovic faces an uncertain path through Europa League Group F, where his side sit second to Rennes. However, they've played one game more than both Villarreal (third) and Maccabi Haifa (fourth) below them.
Despite finishing second in the Greek Super League last season, there's no knowing how many more European evening Panathinaikos can expect at Leoforos Alexandras. And depending on their success in the near future, Maccabi Haifa's visit on December 14 could be the last continental clash there for some time (possibly ever).
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