Arena ”Philip II. of Macedonia / Toše Proeski / Todor”

About

National Arena Toše Proeski (Macedonian: Национална арена „Тоше Проески“) is a sports stadium in Skopje, North Macedonia. It is currently used mostly for football matches, but also for concerts or athletics. It is the home stadium of Vardar and Rabotnichki from Skopje, who compete in the Macedonian First League, as well as the home ground of the North Macedonia national football team on almost all occasions (the other venues rarely chosen being the Goce Delčev Stadium in Prilep, or SRC Biljanini Izvori in Ohrid). The stadium was previously known as the City Park Stadium (Macedonian: Cтадион Градски парк; Stadion Gradski Park) until 2009 and Philip II National Arena (Macedonian: Национална арена "Филип Втори") until 2019. By an executive decision of the government of North Macedonia adopted on 9 April 2019, the National Arena was renamed "National Arena Todor Proeski" in honour of the Macedonian pop icon Todor "Toše" Proeski and as result of the Prespa agreement's obligation to de-antiquization. With the capacity of just over 33,000, the National Arena is the largest stadium in the country and one of the largest in Southeastern Europe. The stadium hosted the 2017 UEFA Super Cup.

The project for the City Park stadium was designed in 1975 by architects Dragan Krstev and Todorka Mavkova from Beton Construction Company. The South Stand started with construction in 1977. Construction of the South stand took 2 years and it was finished in 1978. The whole stadium was supposed to be finished the same year. Somehow the money from the budget were transferred to the federal budget and used for other projects.

The reconstruction and expansion started after a long delay in project implementation in January 2008. The construction of a new north stand was finished in August 2009 and was put in use on 2 August 2009, the Macedonian national holiday " Ilinden ". Ten days later, on 12 August, the North Macedonia national football team played a friendly match against then European Champions Spain, as part of the 100-year anniversary of football in the country.

The reconstruction of the southern stand started in 2009, which was put into operation on 30 July of that year for the match between FK Rabotnički and Liverpool FC.

On 8 September 2009, the construction of the new western and eastern stands started. The two new stands were open for the public on 24 April 2011. By mid July 2012, the majority of the stadium was completed with the reconstruction of the new pitch and athletic track. On 25 July 2012, FK Vardar played FC BATE Borisov in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League to re-open the stadium. On 8 September 2012, the Independence Day of Macedonia, a celebration was held when almost 50,000 visitors attended the event (in the stands and on the field). This event set the record of attendance for the stadium.

Since 2008, the stadium has seen investment of about two billion denari, or €32 million. The second phase, which got underway in November 2011, saw the reconstruction of the pitch and athletic track. The athletic track around the pitch, from the original 6 was extended to 8 running tracks and it uses Tartan track surface. Total cost for this phase is €3.5 million. The stadium was finished in 2013 with the completion of a new illuminated outer facade. The total construction cost for all actions related to the stadium in the period 2008–2013 reached over €60 million.

- 1985–86 UEFA Cup First round, Second leg – 2 October 1985 between FK Vardar and FC Dinamo București.

- 1987–88 European Cup First round, Second leg – 30 September 1987 between FK Vardar and FC Porto.

- 2000–01 UEFA Cup First round, First leg – 14 September 2000 between FK Pobeda and AC Parma.

- 2003–04 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round, Second leg – 6 August 2003 between FK Vardar and CSKA Moscow.

- 2003–04 UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round, First leg – 13 August 2003 between FK Vardar and AC Sparta Prague.

- 2003–04 UEFA Cup First round, Second leg – 15 October 2003 between FK Vardar and AS Roma.

- 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – 9 October 2004 between Macedonia and Netherlands.

- 2005–06 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round, First leg – 27 July 2005 between FK Rabotnički and Lokomotiv Moscow.

- 2006–07 UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round, Second leg – 23 August 2006 between FK Rabotnički and LOSC Lille.

- 2007–08 UEFA Cup First round, First leg – 20 September 2007 between FK Rabotnički and Bolton Wanderers.

- 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – 6 September 2008 between Macedonia and Scotland.

- 2010–11 UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round, First leg – 29 July 2010 between FK Rabotnički and Liverpool.

- UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying – 4 June 2011 between Macedonia and Republic of Ireland.

- 2011–12 UEFA Europa League Play-offs, Second leg – 25 August 2011 between FK Rabotnički and SS Lazio.