Teddy Stadium
Teddy Stadium () is a sports stadium in the Malha neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel. Three football teams currently use the stadium: Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Jerusalem, and the Israel national football team for select home matches. The stadium is named after long-time Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, who was in office during the time of its construction and was one of its prominent advocates. History. For Beitar, the stadium was a major upgrade after years of playing at the YMCA Stadium, nicknamed "The Sandbox". In the first stage, only the west and east sides of the stadium were built, giving  it a capacity of 14,500. In 1999, work was finished on a north side which contains capacity of 8000 seats. The stadium itself is one of the newest in Israel and one of the few that are close to meeting all European standards. It is accessible to the disabled, has modern bathrooms, and has ample concession stands, a combination that is very difficult to find in many Israeli stadiums. The stadium has 5,000 parking spots on its premises, and is connected to the Malha Mall and its parking facilities by a pedestrian bridge. The stadium is located at the Begin  Expressway and just past the Malha Train Station, which ensures convenient road and rail access to the rest of Israel. With stands close to the pitch and excellent acoustics, Teddy Stadium has hosted several Israel national football team matches, the Maccabiah Games opening ceremony, and other public events. A south side stand was completed on June 3, 2013, increasing seating capacity to 34,000. Teddy Stadium was one of the venues for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and hosted the tournament's final match. The first official match of the Israel national football team in the new stadium was  played on March 31, 2015. Israel hosted the Belgium national football team in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match and lost the match by a score of 0–1. Israel was chosen to host The 2021 IFAF Flag Football World Championship which were played at Teddy Stadium after feared high winds at the original venue, The Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem. Supporters. During Beitar matches, the La Familia group occupies the eastern sections of the stadium. They are known for being the most vocal and controversial of fans in the venue. Renovations. In September 2016 a new solar system which  can produce 639 kW was installed on the roof of the stadium. In mid-2018 the Jerusalem municipality announced the start of a 25 million ₪ upgrade of the stadium. The dressing rooms and players warm-up hall were renovated, ergonomic seats were installed and a professional sound system was built. The second phase of the renovation began in February 2019, and was completed in August 2020.These renovations included: Jerusalem municipality allocated 30 million ₪ more for further improvements in 2021/2022: