October 5, 2023
Etihad Stadium: One of the most luxurious grounds to visit in the Premier League
When you think of luxury, you might not immediately think of football stadiums. But with hospitality becoming increasingly important in the sporting and social world, Premier League football clubs won’t want to miss out.
There is plenty of cash swishing around in the Premier League. Some of the richest people in the world now own Premier League football clubs, and they will want to impress their peers and potential investors.
As a result, a huge emphasis is now put on hospitality, with modern stadiums built with corporate guests more in mind than ever before. The Etihad Stadium in Manchester is one such ground.
Manchester City are now a global brand
Manchester City are now a global brand, and their football team is one of the best in the world. They are expected to win trophies every year, and not just one. In the Premier League, they are the 4/11 favourites to win the title with the bookmakers. In Europe, they are the 2/1 favourites in the UEFA Champions League odds to defend the title they won in June this year.
Manchester City have won the Premier League for the previous three seasons. They are a big draw, and the stadium needs to match their ambitions. They also want to win the Champions League more regularly to help increase their global brand. And to do this, they need to be as successful off the pitch as they are on it.
History of the Etihad Stadium
The Etihad Stadium was built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games and was originally known as the City of Manchester Stadium. It was a modern stadium at the time. But after the Commonwealth Games, it became even more state-of-the-art.
The ground was converted into a football stadium at a cost of over £40 Million, with the club moving in for the 2003/04 season. Since then, new owners have purchased Manchester City FC and invested heavily in the stadium and the surrounding campus.
The belief is that ambitions on the pitch have to be matched off it. This has resulted in significant infrastructure improvements at the ground, with little expense spared, as the club strives to stay one step ahead of its competitors.
Reasons the Etihad Stadium stands out from the crowd
The Etihad Stadium has a kitchen that can cater to 6000 guests, on-site hotels and luxurious executive boxes. But one of the unique and luxurious features of the Etihad Stadium on a match day is a place in the Asahi Tunnel Club. Here, guests see the players line up in the tunnel before they go out onto the pitch, while they are wined and dined.
There are not many sporting grounds in the world where guests can sit and watch the gladiators about to go out and battle in those last few private moments. This experience is available at the Etihad Stadium.
When guests enter hospitality at the Etihad Stadium, they believe they are going to be well looked after.
The football club is striving to be the biggest and best in the world. They are competing against new stadiums in Madrid and Munich, as well as sports with exceptionally high standards of corporate hospitality. So, the Etihad Stadium will not want to disappoint.