The iconic football stadium suffered major damage last week after a massive fire gutted the arena. St. Jakob Park, home of Swiss club Basel, was destroyed in a fire on Friday. The stadium was the venue for last year’s Women’s Euro final, where the Lionesses defeated Spain in a penalty shootout to claim back-to-back championships.
Images released by Basel showed the walls of the home changing room charred and several other areas of the stadium also blackened by the fire. A rack of soccer cleats was covered in a thick layer of debris, and a sanitary bed had its material stripped to its frame. In some cases, the extent of the damage made it difficult to determine which areas of the stadium were being photographed.
Areas most severely affected included locker rooms, coaches’ rooms, director’s offices, physical therapy areas, equipment storage, wellness areas, showers, and recovery zones.
“Initial assessments by fire experts and insurance companies indicate a total loss, even though current information indicates that the fire was mainly confined to the sauna area and the directly adjacent items,” Basel said in a statement.
“For example, the changing rooms of the FCB show no direct fire damage, but some areas have significant and irreparable damage from toxic soot. A similar pattern of damage is evident throughout (the affected area).”
Other areas of the stadium remained covered in a thick layer of soot and debris, including the mixed zone, away team changing room, referee’s changing room, doping control room and laundry room.
“There is hope that at least part of this area can be saved,” the statement added. “Further information will be announced in the coming days and weeks.
“The fact that complete destruction of the entire catacomb section was prevented is thanks in particular to the fire alarm system, the functioning fire doors and ventilation flaps, and the quick response of the emergency services who received the alert.”
Basel still has a few games left until the end of the season and damage to facilities has been a problem for the organizers.
“(The club’s) first priority is to ensure that we can host the remaining three home games of the season.”
“However, at this point we have to assume that the entire catacomb structure will not be operational again before the end of the season.
“The club is working intensively to assess suitable alternative solutions and has already identified a number of potential temporary solutions.”
