The stadium which put a city on the map, the Arena AufSchalke was opened for the 2001/02 Bundesliga season and is an architectural masterpiece. FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler claimed "the Arena will be a pearl of the World Cup" following an inspection of its facilities, and it surely will.

A removable pitch, which can be taken 'outside', is paired with a retractable roof and there is even a video cube which hangs over the pitch given the appropriate occasion. The venue for the 2004 Champions League final has proved itself as versatile as it is ground-breaking, staging rock concerts by Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, gridiron matches, and even a biathlon.