Hammadi Agrebi Stadium

Hammadi Agrebi Stadium
Mediterranean Pearl
Interior view of the stadium before the match between Tunisia and Mozambique at the third round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on 6 June 2009.
Map
Full nameHammadi Agrebi Olympic Stadium
Former names7 November Stadium
(2001–2011)
Radès Olympic Stadium
(2011–2020)
LocationRadès, Tunis, Tunisia
Coordinates36°44′52″N 10°16′22″E / 36.74778°N 10.27278°E / 36.74778; 10.27278
Public transitSouthern suburbs train of Tunis
OwnerGovernment of Tunisia
Capacity60,000[1]
Record attendance65,000, 2004 Afcon final.
Field sizeAthletics track: 400 m
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Built1998–2001
Opened6 July 2001
Construction cost170 million Dinar
ArchitectRob Schuurman
Tenants
Tunisia national football team
Espérance Sportive de Tunis
Club Africain
Website
Official Website

Hammadi Agrebi Stadium (Arabic: ملعب حمادي العقربي), opened as 7 November Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the sports city of Radès, located in Radès, in the southern suburb of the city Tunis. The stadium was established in 2001 to host the 2001 Mediterranean Games. The stadium hosts the matches of the Tunisian national team, Esperance de Tunis and Club Africain.

It is a covered amphitheater that can accommodate 60,000 spectators and covers 13,000 square meters. It includes a main field, 3 sub-stadiums, two warm-up halls, two bright blackboards, an honorary platform that can accommodate 7,000 spectators, and a press stand with 300 offices. The stadium was inaugurated in July 2001 under the name Stade 7 November in the framework of the 2000–01 Tunisian Cup final between CS Hammam-Lif and Étoile du Sahel 1–0. The CS Hammam-Lif player, Anis Ben Chouikha, scored the first goal in the history of the stadium. It also hosted 6 matches of the 2004 African Cup of Nations (24 January–14 February 2004), which Tunisia crowned after its 2–1 victory over the Morocco in the final match.

History

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The stadium was inaugurated on 6 July 2001 under the name Stade 7 November in the framework of the 2000–01 Tunisian Cup final between CS Hammam-Lif and Étoile du Sahel (1–0). Hammadi Agrebi Stadium hosted the largest sporting events in Tunisia, most notably the 2001 Mediterranean Games, in which the Tunisian national team won the gold medal of the football tournament after winning the final match 1–0 over Italy.[2] It also hosted six matches of the 2004 African Cup of Nations,[3] which Tunisia won after its 2–1 victory over the Morocco in the final match.[4]

Six matches of the final leg of the CAF Champions League were played on the stadium. In 2006, between the CS Sfaxien and the Egyptian Al-Ahly SC, and in the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018 and 2019, during which it faced Esperance de Tunis, respectively, TP Mazembe, Wydad AC twice and Al-Ahly SC twice. Two matches of the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final were played on the stadium. In 2011 between Club Africain and Maghreb de Fès, in 2013 between CS Sfaxien and TP Mazembe. Two matches of the CAF Super Cup were played on the stadium: the 2008 edition between Étoile du Sahel and CS Sfaxien, and the 2012 edition between Esperance de Tunis and Maghreb de Fès. The French Professional Football League, which wanted to relocate the Trophée des champions between Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, announced that the 2010 edition will take place at the stadium on 28 July 2010.

In October 2015, the government of Habib Essid sparked a great controversy and opposition reactions against the backdrop of announcing its intention to mortgage the stadium, before retracting under public pressure. The stadium obtained the first class certificate from the International Athletics Federation, as the stadium most conforms to the standards and specifications in its field. In May 2020, the stadium was ranked tenth in the world, according to a poll by the Spanish newspaper Marca for the most beautiful stadiums in the world, with 14,000 votes.[5] The stadium recorded the largest number of audiences, estimated at sixty thousand spectators, on two occasions, the first in the final match of the 2004 African Cup of Nations between Tunisia and the Morocco, and the second on 22 May 2008 in the match between Club Africain and Espérance Sportive de Zarzis within the framework of the 2007–08 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1.[6]

Name

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The stadium before the 2008–09 Tunisian Cup final

When it was built, the stadium was called the 7 November Stadium but, following the 2011 revolution, it took the name of Radès Olympic stadium.[7] On 22 August 2020, following the death of Hammadi Agrebi, the head of government Elyes Fakhfakh announced that he would rename the stadium to his name.[8] This announcement surprises the mayor of Radès who indicates that the municipal council is meeting on 24 August to make a decision.[9] In addition, a decree dated 12 July 2019 stipulates that it is not permitted to give the names of deceased persons to monuments until three years after the date of death.[10]

On 24 August, the Ministry of Local Affairs replied that the stadium was placed under the management of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (not that of the municipality of Radès)[11] and that it did not fall within the framework of the decree of the 12 July 2019,[12] so his name can be changed. A plaque was therefore installed on 1 September with the name of the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi,[13] before being removed. On 21 September, the municipality of Radès files an urgent complaint with the Administrative Court to annul the decision.[14] At the end of 2020, the Tunisian Football Federation,[15] the Confederation of African Football and FIFA use this name,[16] even if the name "Olympic Stadium of Radès"[17] remains common in the media, both Tunisian and foreign.[18]

International tournament matches

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2004 African Cup of Nations

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Date Time (CET) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
24 January 2004 19:30 Tunisia  2–1  Rwanda Group A (opening match) 60,000
28 January 2004 16:15 Tunisia  3–0  DR Congo Group A 60,000
1 February 2004 14:00 Tunisia  1–1  Guinea Group A 35,000
7 February 2004 17:00 Tunisia  1–0  Senegal Quarter-finals 57,000
11 February 2004 16:00 Tunisia  1–1 (5–3 pen.)  Nigeria Semi-finals 56,000
14 February 2004 14:30 Tunisia  2–1  Morocco Final 65,000

Tunisia national football team

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Events hosting

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Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain line-ups at the 2010 Trophée des Champions.
Exterior view of the stadium.
Events
Matches

Certificate

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The Hammadi Agrebi Olympic Stadium obtains the Class 1 Certificate from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF),[20] which means that it reaches the best standards and specifications in its field.[21] It is one of the best stadiums in North Africa and one of the most beautiful stadiums on the African continent and in the Arab world.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Stade de Rades - Tunis - the Stadium Guide".
  2. ^ "Mediterranean Games 2001 (Tunisia)". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  3. ^ Gleeson, Mark (2004-02-15). "Jaziri pounces to secure first title for Tunisia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  4. ^ "Tunisia win Cup of Nations". 2004-02-14. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  5. ^ "Elegido el mejor estadio del mundo... ¡después de un millón de votos! Así queda el ránking definitivo". Marca.com (in Spanish). 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  6. ^ "Tunisia 2007/08". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  7. ^ Malek, Fakhreddine Ben (2020-08-22). "Tunisie : Le stade de Radès baptisé "Hamadi Agrebi"". Sport By TN (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  8. ^ "Rebaptiser le stade olympique de Radès au nom de feu Hammadi Agrebi". RTCI - Radio Tunis Chaîne Internationale (in Arabic). 2020-08-23. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  9. ^ "Stade de Rades : Le maire de la ville répond à Elyes Fakhfakh". Gnet news (in French). 2020-08-23. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  10. ^ "La polémique enfle après le changement du nom du stade de Rades". www.kawarji.com. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  11. ^ "Stade Hamadi Agrebi de Rades : La municipalité dépose une plainte auprès du TA". www.webdo.tn (in French). 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  12. ^ Benyounes, Cherif (2020-08-24). "Rebaptiser le stade de Radès au nom de Hamadi Agrebi : Les précisions du ministère des Affaires locales". Kapitalis (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  13. ^ "Le stade de Radès officiellement rebaptisé " Stade olympique Hamadi Agrebi "". www.google.com. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  14. ^ "officiel: Le stade de Rades porte désormais le nom de Hammadi Agrebi". Espace Manager (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  15. ^ "Nissaf Ben Alaya donnera le coup d'envoi de la rencontre du Supercoupe - Fédération Tunisienne de Football" (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  16. ^ "Afrique : qualifications ou désillusions". www.fifa.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  17. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Tournoi UNAF U20 : l'Algérie et la Tunisie démarrent par un match nul". CAFOnline.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  18. ^ "Mali 0-1 Tunisie, Qualif. CM Afrique , résultat et résumé du match (25/03/2022)". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  19. ^ "Libyan Cup Final between Al-Ahly Tripoli and Al Akhdar to be held in Tunis on May 2". Al wasat. 18 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Certification system" (pdf). cbat.org.br. Retrieved 7 January 2019..
  21. ^ Krieger, Jörg (2020-06-29), "Manipulation in Athletics: Historical and Contemporary Ties between On- and Off-Field Corruption in the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)", Match-Fixing and Sport, Routledge, pp. 109–124, ISBN 978-0-367-37422-8, retrieved 2023-05-04
  22. ^ "Hammadi Agrebi Olympic Stadium". www.aljazeera.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-05-04.
[edit]
Preceded by Mediterranean Games
Main Venue
2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by African Cup of Nations
Final Venue
2004 		Succeeded by
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